Gold Provenance Studies for Romanian Archaeological Objects Using Micro-SR-XRF

Journal Article · Tue Apr 06 04:00:00 EDT 2010 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3399240· OSTI ID:21371752

Vasilescu, Angela; Constantinescu, Bogdan; Bugoi, Roxana ^[1]; Radtke, Martin; Reinholz, Uwe ^[2]; Simon, Rolf ^[3]

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1. Department of Applied Nuclear Physics, Horia Hulubei National Institute of Nuclear Physics and Engineering, P O Box MG-6, Bucharest, Magurele 077125 (Romania)
2. BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Richard - Willstaetter Strasse 11, Berlin, D- 12489 (Germany)
3. Institute for Synchrotron Radiation, Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Eggenstein, D-76344 (Germany)

Studies by Synchrotron Radiation--X-Ray Fluorescence (SR-XRF) for the search of the presence of trace elements like Sb, Sn, Te and Pb in archaeological metallic objects found on the territory of Romania--old coins and Bronze Age jewelry, aimed to determine the provenance of the gold used in their manufacture. The results are compared with the detailed elemental composition of alluvial or primary gold samples, obtained by the same technique. This work attempted to establish the origin of the gold used for the mint of two different types of koson coins. We found that the kosons with monogram are made of refined gold, while the one used for the kosons without monogram is mainly alluvial. The gold used in the manufacture of the Calarasi Vulchitrun-type disk and the Tauteu hair ring is also of alluvial origin.

• OSTI ID: 21371752
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 1221; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ANTIMONY
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SPECIMENS
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CULTURAL OBJECTS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
EASTERN EUROPE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
EUROPE
GOLD
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEAD
METALS
MULTI-ELEMENT ANALYSIS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIATIONS
ROMANIA
SEMIMETALS
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
TELLURIUM
TIN
TRACE AMOUNTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
X RADIATION
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS