Is there a minimum physical sample size for OH analysis?
No. There are no minimum specimen size requirements for obsidian hydration measurements. However, specimens smaller than about 5 mm are difficult to prepare for analysis and are largely destroyed during slide preparation. The occasional recuts that are sometimes needed will not be possible in this case and a higher number of unsuccessful rim measurements may result. • Can I choose the artifact location for the OH analysis? Of course. If you have any special requests regarding the location of measurements on any artifact or would like measurements made at more than one location on the artifact, please attach a separate sheet with tracings or photocopies of the sample(s) and well-marked hydration measurement locations. Please do not use correction fluid to mark locations – it interferes with both hydration rim visibility and with the trace element analysis. If the surface geometry of the artifact prevents us from placing it at the designated spot, we will attempt to sample the same artif
