This study explores the significance of spatial sampling resolution on portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis of an archaeological settlement site with favorable preservation conditions and clearly defined stratigraphic contexts as a benchmark study to interpret geochemical mapping of anthropogenic elemental markers. We present geochemical elemental mapping of a Viking-Age house floor in Denmark based on an unprecedented sampling density of a 0.25-m grid. In order to establish a fast, cost-efficient, comparable approach of how different sizes of data resolution affect the spatial elemental patterns, the data is analysed using three different grid sizes: 0.25 m × 0.25 m, 0.5 m × 0.5 m, and 1.0 m × 1.0 m. We analysed each grid size with selected anthropogenic markers (CaO, Cu, P₂O₅, and Sr) using ordinary kriging. The CaO, P₂O₅, and Sr patterns display a strong inter-correlation between data points up to a distance of 1–1.5 m from one another. At the highest resolution (0.25-m grid), all of the elements display a high degree of detail in the variation of the elements across the indoor surface with low standard deviations. Hence, the precise position of hot and coldspots, and spread of bounded concentration zones, is easily recognized in the maps. With the low resolution (1.0-m grid), the borders between high and low concentrations become more blurred and the indications of smaller hotspots (possible activity areas) are completely lost. Especially, Cu displays a high degree of clustering, which the high-resolution sampling could best reveal. This benchmark study shows that it is realistic to perform large-scale geochemical surveys of archaeological settlements using pXRF spectrometry in a standard archaeological excavation context, but also that sampling distances of 0.5 m × 0.5 m or finer are best suited to in indoor contexts.

这项研究探讨了空间采样分辨率对具有良好保存条件和明确定义的地层背景的考古定居点的便携式X射线荧光（pXRF）分析的重要性，以此作为解释人为元素标记物地球化学标测的基准研究。我们基于0.25米网格的前所未有的采样密度，展示了丹麦维京时代房屋地板的地球化学元素图。为了建立一种快速，经济高效，可比的方法，以了解不同大小的数据分辨率如何影响空间元素模式，使用三种不同的网格大小来分析数据：0.25 m×0.25 m，0.5 m×0.5 m和1.0米×1.0米 我们使用选定的人为标记（CaO，Cu，P ₂ O ₅和Sr）使用普通克里金法。CaO，P ₂ O ₅，和Sr模式在数据点之间（彼此之间的距离为1–1.5 m）显示出很强的互相关性。在最高分辨率（0.25米网格）下，所有元素在整个室内表面的变化中都显示出很高的细节度，而标准偏差却很小。因此，在地图中可以轻松识别热点和热点的精确位置以及边界集中区域的分布。在低分辨率（1.0米网格）下，高浓度和低浓度之间的边界变得更加模糊，并且较小热点（可能的活动区域）的指示也完全消失了。尤其是，Cu显示出高度的聚类，高分辨率采样可以很好地揭示这一点。