Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in archaeological science--applications and prospects.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has emerged in the past ten years as a promising technique for analysis and characterization of the composition of a broad variety of objects of cultural heritage including painted artworks, icons, polychromes, pottery, sculpture, and metal, glass, and stone artifacts. This article describes in brief the basic principles and technological aspects of LIBS, and reviews several test cases that demonstrate the applicability and prospects of LIBS in the field of archaeological science.