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Unpopular opinion: XRF analyzers are overhyped for hobby digs
I dropped $2,800 renting a portable XRF for two weeks to analyze some pottery sherds from a site near Abilene. Figured I'd get some solid chemical data to confirm trade routes or clay sources. But half the readings were all over the place because the soil contamination and weathering threw off the scans. Plus the thing needed constant calibration and the manual was a nightmare. I ended up going back to just looking at the sherds under a loupe and comparing them with a reference collection from the local university. That old school approach gave me way clearer answers. Anybody else waste cash on high tech gear that just complicated things?
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riley581d agoTop Commenter
idk man sounds like maybe you expected too much from a rental gadget
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