Pitfalls and Possibilities of Patinated Bronze: The Analysis of Pre-Roman Italian Armour Using pXRF

Abstract

Despite the importance of weapons and armour as part of material culture in the Mediterranean during the first millennium BCE, such objects have generally not been studied beyond stylistic analyses. Bronze was extensively used in the construction of these materials; however, its characterisation is complicated due to patination and the different manufacturing techniques used. We used portable XRF (pXRF) to non-destructively characterise bronze material in a way that mitigates the distorting effects of patina. Analysis was conducted on 23 pieces of pre-Roman Italian bronze armour. Assays were taken using two different techniques; ‘single point’ assays and ‘cluster’ assays. There is variability visible across assays both on and between items, grouped both geographically and chronologically. We highlight significant trends visible in the results over time and different object types and discuss the utility of pXRF on ancient bronze with recommendations for best practice.

A pXRF-Based Approach to Identifying the Material Source of Stone Cultural Relics: A Case Study

“…McGarry et al [27] tested the chemical elements of bone fragments and analyzed the element profiles of unburned and burned fragments with discriminant functions. Emmitt et al [28] used pXRF to test the chemical elements of 23 Italian bronze armors from the pre-Roman period. Through "single point" assays and "cluster" assays, they found that bronze can be grouped by region and time based on changes in the content of some elements.…”

Metal consumption of a middle-range society in the late 3rd millennium BC Anatolia: A new socioeconomic approach

“…This demonstrates the intentional consumption of tin-bearing objects as burial goods. If tin-containing artifacts had been used at the settlement, they must have been removed and/or recycled during or after the settlement’s lifetime [e.g., 52 ].…”

“…While pXRF is an effective way for non-invasive analyses of museum artifacts, it has undeniable handicaps [e.g., 50 – 52 ]. It is a surface-analysis technique and can be used to analyze only to a depth of approximately 0.05mm, depending on the target element and matrix of the artifact.…”