Provenance

a place or origin; specifically, the area from which the constituent materials of a sedimentary rock or facies are derived, also, the rocks of which this area is composed. Discussion—In the context of forensic provenance examination, geological material is analyzed and interpreted to estimate or limit the geographic or environmental conditions of the source of this material to provide an investigative lead. For example, soil on a shovel can be examined to aid in the search for a clandestine grave, typically by comparison of observations to reference data. "Geographic attribution" is an alternative term for provenance.