In situ scanning micro-XRF analyses of gilded bronze figurines at the National Museum of Damascus

Abstract

Scanning micro-XRF analyses were applied in situ at the National Museum of Damascus in Syria for an analytical study of three unique gilded bronze figurines. The figurines are dated back to the Late Bronze Age (1400-1300 BC) and were discovered at the Ugarit archaeological site in Syria. The present work focuses on analytical methodologies exploiting the merits of scanning micro-XRF analyses to provide an integrated non-destructive characterization of constituent materials (gilded layer, bronze alloy) or naturally formed corrosion layers. In the case of the XRF analysis of ancient binary Cu-Sn alloys, a universal dependence of the Sn Ka to La characteristic lines intensity ratio is proposed as a function of the Sn concentration. This consists a simple analytical quantitative criterion to assess the suitability of the surface preservation state before proceeding with any XRF quantification analysis. The results of the present study demonstrate and highlight the potential of scanning micro-XRF to expand the analytical information obtained beyond the spatially resolved elemental composition, thus offering more insight into metallurgical techniques applied by the ancient craftsmen.

The Scientific Methods of Recording and Documenting Archaeological Artifacts: An Analytical Study of Some Examples from the Album of Al-Aqsa Mosque - Jerusalem

“…-The anatomical structure of the image: (Kantarelou et al, 2007) clarified that the layered structure of the photographic image, or the image structure, consists of the following components as illustrated in the following figure: Layer (1) represents the paper, which serves as the base support and carries both the binder and the photosensitive material. Layer (2) is the barite layer, which acts as a preparatory coating for the gelatin.…”

Ftir Investigation of Pigments and Binder of Painted Walls in Heritage Monuments

“…The third, physically compact, very thin layer is attributed to the gold leaf or gold foil that is inherent in the Ottoman decoration of sacral objects. The forms of the gold foil and the leaf differ in the thickness varying above or below 10 µm respectively [17]. Application of gold layer on a substrate usually containing gypsum or lime with animal glue as a binder has been a common procedure since ancient times [18][19][20][21][22][23].…”

Digital Sensoriality: The Neolithic Figurines from Koutroulou Magoula, Greece

“…Computational imaging, 3D scanning technologies and non-destructive analytical methods have also been applied to figurine assemblages from different spatial and temporal contexts to create 3D models for research and teaching (Morris et al 2018), examine manufacturing and production processes (Applbaum & Applbaum 2002; Delvaux et al 2017; Farbstein & Davies 2017; Kreiter et al 2014; Pavel et al 2013), explore figurines (and carved stone balls) as artefacts-in-process (Jones & Díaz-Guardamino 2019), analyse their chemical composition (Forouzan et al 2012; Kantarelou et al 2015), as well as experiment with computational algorithms that would enable fragment matching (Kaimaris et al 2011), hypothetical reconstructions (Papantoniou et al 2012) and the identification, extraction and classification of surface characteristics (Counts et al 2016; Vassallo 2016). In most cases, digital research has focused on 3D documentation and technological features of figurine making, with little or no discussion about the potential of the methods to enhance the sensory dimension of the artefacts in comparison to conventional modes of representation.…”