Trace element analysis using neutron activation has been used to characterize archaeological bone. The alkaline earth elements Sr and Ba appear to be reliable indicators of bone origin. Studies of recently killed specimens suggest that these elements are homogeneous throughout the skeletal matrix so that small samples may be regarded as representative of the entire organism. Alterations of elemental concentrations resulting from interactions of the sample with the depositional environment have been examined empirically by analyzing various samples in contact with contrasting depositional environments for different time periods. The results of the analysis of more than 350 morphologically distinct specimens have provided identification criteria for archaeological artifacts made from bone of unknown origin. See also AATA 16-1172.