Application of a Portable XRF Spectrometer for the Non‐Invasive analysis of Museum Metal Artefacts

Abstract

The present paper reviews examples of the application of a portable - in house developed- XRF spectrometer for the analysis of museum metal artefacts in Greece. Specific topics are addressed, in particular, to which extent the qualitative or quantitative XRF analyses reveal important information about the raw materials and manufacture techniques used for gold, silver and bronze alloys in antiquity. The analytical information that it is gained by means of the XRF measurements is further assessed in comparison with the existing archaeometallurgical knowledge.

A (not so) dangerous method: pXRF vs. EPMA-WDS analyses of copper-based artefacts

“…The spectrometer head is attached in an X-Y-Z position, allowing its easy movement in the X-Y directions (for more details on the XRF technique, see also Karydas 2007). Measurements were taken both on the objects' intact corroded surface ('XRF2') as well as on an area scraped clean where the metal substrate with its characteristic shine was revealed ('XRF1').…”

“…All the above make pXRF instruments the most preferable choice for archaeologists, curators and conservators alike (Tite et al 2002;Henderson and Manti 2008;Cesareo et al 2011;Martinón-Torres et al 2012). A growing number of researchers gain access to and use both handheld and labbased pXRF equipment for the archaeometric study of metal artefacts which highlights the importance of this and similar comparative studies Kantarelou et al 2007;Karydas 2007;Dussubieux et al 2008;Shugar and Mass 2012;Shugar 2013;Charalambous et al 2014).…”

Mobile Spectroscopic Instrumentation in Archaeometry Research

“…Some mobile XRF instruments are designed more for bulk analysis with larger spot sizes in the range of 9-170 mm 2 . 69,71,72 Instruments with smaller spot sizes, some of which are labelled as m-XRF with diameters in the range of 40 mm to 1 mm, 68,[73][74][75][76][77] have been reported for samples requiring finer spatial resolution.…”

“…A diverse array of archaeometric artifacts including statues, 68,106,107 a sword, 96 jewellery, 74 plates and dishes, 74,108 and religious objects 108,109 have been examined by researchers. And the metal compositions investigated included those consisting predominantly of copper, 68,74,106,107,109,110 gold, 74,96,108,110 silver, 74,108 and iron. 96 A set of calibration standards developed for heritage copper alloy analyses via XRF is available; while intended for all XRF instruments and not just with mobile XRF, use of these standards should improve the accuracy and quantitation range for copper alloy research.…”

Comparisons of ancient mortars and hydraulic cements through in situ analyses by portable X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry

“…Portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry is a valuable tool for the evaluation of archaeological materials such as ceramics, [1 -3] pigments, [4 -6] metallic objects, [7,8] and stone. [6] The non-destructive nature of the technique is well suited to archaeological samples, and the speed and portability of instrumentation is ideal for data collection in non-laboratory settings such as excavation sites and museums.…”