We are delighted to announce that research group led by prof. McGimsey, composed of members of the SYLINDA team, conducted unique research using SR-XRF and XANES techniques to test two intriguing hypotheses regarding the mounds on the Louisiana State University campus in the United States – whether the mound was built in two phases, separated by a long interval, and whether the light-colored layers visible in the soil cores are ash residues from intense fires.
If you want to find out which hypothesis is right, and whether any of them are right at all, follow the link doi:10.1017/aaq.2025.10113
Part of the experiments was conducted on the ASTRA beamline at SOLARIS, using XRF and XAS at the Si and Fe edges. The publication demonstrates that the methods developed and available at SOLARIS can successfully support archaeological research and the analysis of soils and materials of great historical value.