Reliability of a new X-ray analytical microscope in archaeological research

► Reliability of an XRF microscope is assessed for archaeological studies. ► Repeatability deviations for relative intensity were 1%-4% for major elements. ► Sensitivity for detecting trace elements was in the 50-100 ppm range. ► Quantification accuracy between measured and certified concentrations was 93%. ► Potsherds were successfully differentiated using bivariate graphs.