RockHound for the Archeologist - The Rockhound can be used to determine the source of materials in antiquities. One of the motives for identifying the composition of historical artifacts is that certain minerals, clays and dyes may indicate the location or period at which the specimen was fabricated. Further, identification of shards from ceramics is of great help in classification. And, the identification of each specimen is important in restoration or conservation treatment. The advantage of the RockHound over other Raman spectrometers is portability. One of the main objectives of an archeological excavation is to collect the maximum amount of information possible without removing or damaging the specimens. At times it may be difficult to distinguish between natural and cultural deposits, and a handheld identification tool can be used to immediately identify man-made specimens. Strata may change abruptly in an excavation, and the RockHound can be used to identify rapid changes in stratigraphy. Samples obtained from shipwrecks can be immediately analyzed topside, and the portability of the RockHound allows investigators to carry this device on offshore excavations.

Analysis time is also paramount, The RockHound can immediately identify and classify objects at the site prior to collecting and bagging specimens for further analysis at the lab. This technique allows the archeologist to collect information from the specimen before other preservation and collection methods are applied to the specimen. At times, the identification of the number of shards is enormous, and a rapid identification technique can be used to quickly classify each specimen. Raman spectra are collected in just a few seconds using the RockHound.

And lastly, the RockHound is very light (weighs less than 5 lbs) and handheld. This allows the user to maneuver the device in several orientations for larger or compacted specimens. Data is obtained while keeping the artifact intact.