We used stationary XRF spectrometry for analysing elemental composition of Holocene floodplain sediments from a recovered core form the Weiße Elster floodplain. For XRF sample preparation freeze-dried catchment sediments (8 g) were seaved (2mm) to discard the gravel fraction and large organic matter. Further homogenization was undertaken by grinding the samples with a vibratory Retsch mill MM 200. We created uniform pellets by pressing the powdered samples with a carbon-based binding agent in a Vaneox press at 20 t for 2 min. We conducted elemental analyses in a He atmosphere using a Spectro Xepos energy dispersive XRF spectrometer. The total drilling depth of SC40 core is 275 cm. We conducted stationary XRF measurements of 52 samples.

Measurement reproducibility; [character, unitless]:very good: very good reproducibility, highly reliable datavery good**: very good reproducibility, highly reliable data; BUT: individual values are not secured, since concentrations are based on measurements with 1000 pulses, secured: Comg/kg/samples WE_SC40-1-WE_SC40-8, WE_SC40-11-WE_SC40-13, WE_SC40-22-WE_SC40-23poor: data should be treated with caution, since the values were measured close to the detection limit!