From Périgord to the Paris Basin: Compositional Characterization of Medieval French Limestones

Within the short span of fifteen years, trace element analysis has emerged as an effective tool in provenance studies of medieval French limestone objects. This article summarizes the historical achievements and provides a basic guide for the novice. The primary focus, however, is the ongoing work of the French-American collaborative Provenance Study of Limestone Used in Medieval French Sculpture: its accomplishments to date and issues to be explored in succeeding phases of the enterprise. Topics include the advantages and limitations of neutron activation analysis, its use in conjunction with other well-established techniques, the geographical delimitations of monuments and quarries to be investigated, as well as questions of stone extraction, distribution and transportation, and the relation of such practices to the methods of medieval builders and sculptors.