RIP-ARCHAEOGEOCHEM

RIP-ARCHAEOGEOCHEM

Submitted by Mgr. Jan Fišer on
Subtitle
An archaeogeochemical landscape dataset from the Rip Mountain region, Czech Republic
Resource Type
Dataset
DOI
10.58063/n93t-sg63
Description
Purpose and Context of Dataset Creation

This dataset was created by the team of Geoarcheological lab at Centre for Field Archaology, University of Hradec Králové, as part of the “Long-term land use dynam-ics within the areas of prehistoric ritual places” (Grant No. 25–15795K)financed by the GACR—Czech Science Foundation. It contains topsoil geochemical data from the Říp mountain region, Czech Republic, generated to support the analysis of archaeogeochemical signatures and long-term patterns of anthropogenic soil enrichment in the landscape.

Methods

Field sampling was carried out in March and April 2025 within a 10 × 10 km study area south-east of Roudnice nad Labem, Czech Republic, in the wider Mount Rip region. The sampling design combined two complementary strategies. First, a regular landscape-scale grid with 1 × 1 km spacing was used to capture broader regional geochemical patterns. Second, this grid-based sampling was supplemented by targeted sampling of archaeological sites divided into predefined categories, including settlement-related contexts, burial-related contexts, ambiguous feature concentrations, and background/non-site areas. At each selected archaeological location, a 50 × 50 m sampling square was established, within which 30 topsoil samples were collected randomly. All samples were taken from the surface ploughsoil/topsoil horizon.

Laboratory processing of the collected samples was carried out between May 2025 and February 2026. Samples were air-dried under laboratory conditions, gently disaggregated, and sieved to obtain the <2 mm fraction. The prepared soil samples were analysed using an Olympus Vanta VCA ED-XRF (serial no. 801404) spectrometer in GeoChem-REE-Extra mode with dual-beam irradiation: 50 kV for 30 s and 10 kV for 30 s. Each sample was measured three times, and the resulting concentrations were averaged. Concentrations below the limit of detection were replaced by one half of the minimum detected value for the respective element. The resulting dataset was used to compare multi-element geochemical signatures across archaeological site categories and to examine landscape-scale patterns of anthropogenic soil enrichment.

Dataset Contents and Structure
  • data_v1.0.0_rip_archaeogeochem.csv - Structured dataset containing unique sample identifiers, elemental concentrations measured by portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (pXRF), analytical uncertainties, archaeological context, laboratory metadata, and geographic coordinates.
  • README_rip_archaeogeochem.txt - Documentation describing the dataset, research context, data structure, variable definitions, laboratory workflow, analytical methods, and data quality assurance.
Technical Information

The dataset is provided as a UTF-8 encoded CSV file with comma-separated values. Elemental concentrations are reported in ppm. Coordinates are referenced in the S-JTSK / Krovak East North coordinate reference system (EPSG:5514). Sample locations were recorded in the field using the ArcGIS Field Maps mobile application with the project configured in the S-JTSK / Krovak East North coordinate reference system (EPSG:5514). Only positions with an estimated horizontal accuracy of ≤10 m were accepted, and no post-processing coordinate transformation was applied. Geochemical analyses were performed using an Olympus Vanta VCA portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometer operating in GeoChem-REE-Extra mode. Analytical uncertainties are provided as one-sigma (1σ) values reported by the instrument.

Research Questions

The dataset was created to assess whether multi-element soil geochemistry can distinguish between conventionally interpreted prehistoric settlements, burial sites, ambiguous feature concentrations, and surrounding non-site contexts; to evaluate the internal geochemical variability of sites traditionally classified as settlements; and to examine whether landscape-scale geochemical trends reveal persistent zones of human activity and long-term land-use organisation in the Říp mountain region.

Appropriate Reuse

This dataset is suitable for a wide range of archaeological, environmental, and methodological applications. Potential reuse includes:

  • investigating spatial patterns of soil geochemistry across archaeological landscapes;
  • developing and validating archaeological predictive models and machine learning approaches;
  • evaluating and improving methods for processing and interpreting portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) data;
  • integrating geochemical data with LiDAR, remote sensing, geophysical, geological, pedological, and historical datasets;
  • conducting regional or supra-regional comparative studies of anthropogenic soil enrichment and long-term land-use patterns;
  • benchmarking spatial interpolation, multivariate statistical, and geospatial analytical methods;
  • performing meta-analyses that combine multiple archaeological geochemistry datasets;
  • supporting education and training in archaeometry, environmental archaeology, geochemistry, GIS, and spatial analysis.
Dataset limitations and inappropriate reuse

This dataset is intended for research, educational, and methodological applications. Users should consider the analytical limitations of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), including its semi-quantitative nature for some elements and sensitivity to soil matrix effects, and interpret the results alongside archaeological, geological, and environmental evidence. The dataset should not be used where laboratory-grade quantitative elemental concentrations are required without appropriate validation or calibration. Likewise, it should not serve as the sole basis for regulatory, legal, or commercial decision-making without independent verification.

Creators and Contributors
Creator
Jan Fišer ; University of Hradec Králové , Department of Archaeology jan.fiser@uhk.cz
Petr Krištuf ; University of West Bohemia in Pilsen , Department of Archaeology pkristuf@ff.zcu.cz
Jan Plíšek ; University of Hradec Králové , Department of Archaeology jan.plisek@uhk.cz
Jan Horák ; University of Hradec Králové , Department of Archaeology jan.horak.3@uhk.cz
Contributor
ProjectMember: Nikola Rybenská ; University of Hradec Králové , Department of Archaeology nikola.rybenska.2@uhk.cz
ProjectMember: Irena Supuková ; University of Hradec Králové , Department of Archaeology irena.supukova@uhk.cz
Publisher
Masaryk University
Time Reference
Time Period
Eneolithic
unspecified dating
unspecified dating
Date Coverage
2025
Date Collected
2025-03 to 2026-02
Date Created
2026-07-04
Publication year
2026
Subject

Keywords

Assessment Type
geoarchaeology
Object Type
pedological sample
Feature Type
sunken feature
burial mound
Funding
Funder
Name of organisation
Czech Science Foundation
ROR
https://ror.org/01pv73b02
Award title
Long-term Land-Use Dynamics within the Areas of Prehistoric Ritual Places (Grant No. 25-15795K)
Local identifier
25-15795K
Instrument

pxrf_cz_uhk_801404

Instrument ID
801404
Instrument type
Ruční XRF spektrometr
Manufacturer
Olympus
Model
Vanta VCA
Instrument owner
Archaeogeochemical Lab, Centre for Field Archaeology, University of Hradec Králové
Location
Collected in
RIP-ARCHAEOGEOCHEM – Study Area
Processed at location
Archaeogeochemical Lab, Centre for Field Archaeology, University of Hradec Králové
Dataset Language
English
License
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Displaying dataset files 1 - 2 of 2
Name File size
README_rip_archaeogeochem.csv 9 bytes
data_v1.0.0_rip_archaeogeochem.csv 447 bytes

Dataset Preview

Name
README_rip_archaeogeochem.csv
README_rip_archaeogeochem.csv
README – RIP-ARCHAEOGEOCHEM – Dataset description
1. Dataset overview
RIP-ARCHAEOGEOCHEM (ver. 1.0.0)
An archaeogeochemical landscape dataset from the Mount Říp region, Czech Republic
This dataset was created by the Geoarchaeological Lab of the Centre for Field Archaeology, University of Hradec Kralove, as part of the project Long-term Land Use Dynamics within the Areas of Prehistoric Ritual Places (GACR Grant No. 25-15795K), funded by the Czech Science Foundation. It contains topsoil geochemical data collected in the Mount Říp region, Czech Republic, to support the investigation of archaeogeochemical signatures and long-term patterns of anthropogenic soil enrichment across the landscape. The dataset contains 1,291 topsoil samples, including elemental concentrations obtained by portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (pXRF), together with metadata describing field sampling, laboratory processing, and the spatial location of each sample.
Author, orcid id:
Jan Fišer, 0000-0002-2295-4134
Petr Krištuf, 0000-0001-6389-6316
Jan Plíšek, 0009-0005-2454-2853
Jan Horák, 0000-0001-5589-7124
Contributor, orcid id:
Irena Supuková, 0009-0001-4232-9619
Nikola Rybenská, 0009-0005-6493-507X
Institutions:
University of Hradec Kralove
University of West Bohemia in Pilsen
Field sampling was carried out in March 2025 and April 2025. Laboratory analysis were taken between May 2025 and February 2026.
2. Dataset structure
2.1 Files included
readme_rip_archaeogeochem.txt
data_v1.0.0_rip_archaeogeochem.csv
2.2 Column description
Envi_id – Unique laboratory sample identifier.
Al_Concentration – Aluminium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Si_Concentration – Silicon concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
P_Concentration – Phosphorus concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
K_Concentration – Potassium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Ca_Concentration – Calcium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Cr_Concentration – Chromium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Mn_Concentration – Manganese concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Fe_Concentration – Iron concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Ni_Concentration – Nickel concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Zn_Concentration – Zinc concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Rb_Concentration – Rubidium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Sr_Concentration – Strontium concentration measured by pXRF(ppm).
Y_Concentration – Yttrium concentration measured by pXRF(ppm).
Zr_Concentration – Zirconium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Nb_Concentration – Niobium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Ba_Concentration – Barium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Pb_Concentration – Lead concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
LE_Concentration – Instrument-specific light element (LE) parameter reported by the pXRF software.
Al_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the aluminium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Si_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the silicon concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
P_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the phosphorus concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
K_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the potassium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Ca_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the calcium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Cr_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the chromium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Mn_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the manganese concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Fe_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the iron concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Ni_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the nickel concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Zn_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the zinc concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Rb_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the rubidium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Sr_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the strontium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Y_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the yttrium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Zr_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the zirconium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Nb_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the niobium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Ba_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the barium concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
Pb_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty of the lead concentration measured by pXRF (ppm).
LE_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty associated with the instrument-specific light element (LE) parameter.
Field_date – Date of field sampling.
Field_cadaster – Cadastral area.
Homogenization_date – Date of sample homogenization.
xrf_analyse_date – Date of pXRF analysis.
xrf_analyse_device_serial_number – Instrument serial number.
xrf_analyse_real_time_1 – Acquisition time of first beam (s).
xrf_analyse_real_time_2 – Acquisition time of second beam (s).
Archaeological_category – Archaeological classification of sampling location.
coordinate_X – X coordinate (EPSG:5514).
coordinate_Y – Y coordinate (EPSG:5514).
2.3 Notes
Envi_id – Laboratory-assigned unique sample identifier. The identifier is unique within the Geochemical Laboratory (CETA).
LE_Concentration – Instrument-specific light element (LE) parameter reported by the pXRF software. This parameter does not represent the concentration of an individual chemical element.
LE_SigmaError – One-sigma (1σ) analytical uncertainty associated with the instrument-specific LE parameter.
3. Sampling methodology
Field sampling was carried out in March and April 2025 within a 10 × 10 km study area south-east of Roudnice nad Labem, Czech Republic, in the wider Mount Říp region. The sampling design combined two complementary strategies. First, a regular landscape-scale grid with 1 × 1 km spacing was used to capture broader regional geochemical patterns. Second, this grid-based sampling was supplemented by targeted sampling of archaeological sites divided into predefined categories, including settlement-related contexts, burial-related contexts, ambiguous feature concentrations, and background/non-site areas. At each selected archaeological location, a 50 × 50 m sampling square was established, within which 30 topsoil samples were collected randomly. Sampling locations were predefined and uploaded to the ArcGIS Field Maps mobile application, which was used to navigate to each sampling point. Sample locations were verified in the field using a smartphone with a minimum positional accuracy of 10 m, and all samples were collected from the surface ploughsoil (topsoil) horizon.
4. Laboratory workflow
Laboratory processing of the collected samples was carried out between May 2025 and February 2026. Samples were air-dried under laboratory conditions, manually pre-crushed and sieved to obtain the <2 mm fraction. Approximately 40–50 g of each sample was then homogenized using the laboratory's internal PM_9 protocol. Samples were milled for 3 minutes in a planetary ball mill using a mixture of 4 mm and 7 mm grinding balls with a total ball volume of 36 mL. Elemental concentrations were determined using an Olympus Vanta VCA portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) spectrometer (serial no. 801404) operating in GeoChem-REE-Extra mode. Each sample was analysed using dual-beam irradiation (50 kV for 30 s and 10 kV for 30 s) and measured in triplicate. The reported elemental concentrations represent the arithmetic mean of the three measurements. Concentrations below the instrument's limit of detection were replaced by one-half of the minimum detected concentration for the respective element. Elemental concentrations are expressed in parts per million (ppm).
6. Coordinate reference system
S-JTSK / Krovak East North
EPSG:5514
coordinate_X = Easting
coordinate_Y = Northing
7. Data quality
The pXRF instrument undergoes annual calibration and performance testing by BAS Rudice Ltd. (https://www.bas.cz/).
8. Citation
When using this dataset, please cite both the dataset and the associated publication(s), where applicable:
Fišer, J., Krištuf, P., Plíšek, J., Horák, J. (2026) RIP-ARCHAEOGEOCHEM. ArchaeoVault. DOI:
9. Licence
CC BY 4.0
10. Contact
Jan Fišer
Archaeogeochemical lab
Centre for Field Archaeology
University of Hradec Králové
e-mail: jan.fiser@uhk.cz
ORCID: 0000-0002-2295-4134
10. Version
Current version: 1.0.0
Release date: 2026-07-01
11. Version history
Version 1.0.0 (2026-07-01)
• Initial public release.
MIME type
text/csv
File size
9
Media of
RIP-ARCHAEOGEOCHEM
Media Use
Original File
Has header
No
Separator
^
Is documentation
True