The analysis of the Anzick ochre has not produced as definitive a provenance assignment as researchers might have hoped — the geological complexity of the Montana region makes source identification challenging — but the work is ongoing, and improvements in analytical chemistry may eventually narrow the possibilities.

What the ochre analysis has confirmed is that the pigment was deliberately processed before being applied — it was not simply mineral chunks placed in the burial, but material that had been ground and possibly mixed to achieve a specific consistency and color.

This processing represents an additional investment of time and knowledge, suggesting that the preparation and application of ochre was a skilled practice within the community that buried the Anzick child.

The specific shade of red produced by the Anzick ochre — a deep, intense red-orange — is consistent with processed hematite that has been heated to drive off water content and intensify the color.