An overview on the ancient goldsmith's skill and the circulation of gold in the past: the role of x‐ray based techniques

Abstract

From the study of coins and casted simple objects to intricate jewellery comprising many diverse parts joined together, analytical queries on ancient goldwork concern the description of the manufacturing techniques, the identification of the authenticity and the localisation of the exploited sources of gold. Through the examination of the objects by x-ray radiography and the non-destructive elemental analysis of the gold alloys -by XRF, SEM-EDX, PIXE and SR-XRF, x-ray based techniques have always played an important role in the study of cultural heritage and, in particular, of goldwork.The aim of this article is to give a short overview of the use of the most established scientific-based techniques in the study of goldwork, with special outlining on the limitations, advantages and applications of x-ray based techniques. Two applications illustrate both the potential of examination techniques to identify the authenticity of gold jewellery and the importance of combining examination techniques and elemental analysis to describe the fabrication stages of goldwork. At last, a third example shows the significant socio-economical assumptions developed by determining the characteristic trace elements of gold when coinages are considered.

Application of Modified Tafel Analysis to the Identification of Corrosion Products on Archaeological Metals Using Voltammetry of Microparticles

“…Available analytical techniques include, among others, scanning electrochemical microscopy/energy dispersive microanalysis (SEM/EDX) [7], energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (EDXRF) [8,9], proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) [10,11], synchrotron X-ray fluorescence analysis (SRXRF) [12], X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) [13], neutron activation analysis (NAA) [14] and deep activation analysis (PAA) [15]. A discussion of the advantages and limitations of these techniques can be found in literature [16,17]; in general, a synergistic combination of different techniques is required [13,18].…”

Portable XRF of Archaeological Artifacts: Current Research, Potentials and Limitations

“…5. In art fraud or authentication testing, the use of PXRF analysis performed on a variety of artifacts based on elemental data is extremely useful (Appoloni et al 2007;Guerra 2008). Authenticating pieces helps prevent fraud, and can ensure that a returned artifact is the same one that a museum loaned or that donated pieces are identical in composition.…”

Estudio arqueométrico y contextual del brazalete de oro tipo Villena/Estremoz de la Cueva del Silo (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, España)

“…Siguiéndose tres líneas complementarias: a) estudio de la topografía y textura de la superficie del brazalete; b) análisis químicos elementales y c) reconstrucción del proceso de producción. Para ello se utilizaron técnicas de microscopía óptica (MO) y electrónica de barrido (MEB) con microsonda de dispersión de rayos X (SEM-EDX), analizándose distintas áreas del objeto y midiéndose su composición química (Guerra 2008). El estudio topográfico y textural tiene por finalidad documentar las huellas de trabajado, las estructuras debidas a procesos térmicos, y las microestructuras de diverso origen, huellas de uso y/o deterioro, presentes en la superficie del brazalete.…”