INVESTIGATING THE GEOCHEMICAL CONTENT OF ANCIENT LATERITE BRICKS FROM BUKIT CHORAS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE USING X-RAY DIFFRACTION (XRD) AND X-RAY FLUORESCENCE (XRF)

Abstract

The Bukit Choras Archaeological Complex is located at the summit of Bukit Choras, approximately 14 km north of Gunung Jerai in the state of Kedah, Malaysia. The Bukit Choras complex consists of a main structure believed to be a stupa, surrounded by mounds and water tanks. Surface remains suggest that the structures were constructed mainly of laterite bricks. However, the origin of the raw laterite used to make the laterite bricks is not yet known. An investigation needs to be carried out to determine the possible locations from where the raw laterites were mined. This research is focused on the geochemical composition of building materials used to construct the site, which may be determined using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF). Nine raw material samples collected from various points around Bukit Choras were compared with two laterite bricks taken from the main structure in the complex. The XRD and XRF analyses detected minerals, major elements and trace elements that showed similar composition between the laterite bricks and several raw material samples. The findings of this study suggest that the raw materials used to construct the complex structures were likely taken from the south-eastern outcrop of Bukit Choras