The Sarmizegetusa bracelets

Abstract

We present the authentication and analysis of these beautiful Dacian bracelets of the first century BC, originally pillaged by treasure hunters and recovered thanks to an international crime chase. They were originally fashioned from gold panned from the rivers or dug from the mines of Transylvania and hammered into the form of coiled snakes. The lack of context is the greatest loss, but a votive purpose is likely given their proximity to the great sacred centre at Sarmizegetusa Regia.

Atomic spectrometry update–X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

“…This work investigated the consistency in technological style between the smelting sites in a broad socio-cultural sense based on the analysis of slag residues by ED-SEM and EDXRF. Each year, coins attract XRF interest, as represented this year by the contribution of Constantinescu et al, 367 who examined medieval silver coins of Moldavian origin by PIXE and EDXRF and Xia et al 368 who employed XRD as well as XRF to characterise several brass coins of the Qing dynasty. Compositions indicated a high degree of competence in brass technology.…”

Nuclear physics for cultural heritage

“…The presence of tin indicated an alluvial deposit. Some antimony, which is one of the main fingerprints of a primary Transylvanian gold vein, was also observed [61][62][63][64].…”

Private ‘Rescue’-by-Purchase of Stolen Cultural Goods: The Material and Social Consequences and the Complicity of Europe and North America

“…The investigation showed that the state had reimbursed collectors whose purchases had profited the 'Serbian cartel [Cartelul sârb]' of smugglers (Guţă 2018), 'organised gangs of illegal treasure hunters' (Constantinescu et al 2010(Constantinescu et al , 1028 and corrupt officials who took bribes for logging permits that disguised the looters' activities. No collectors were prosecuted and most of the convicted suspects were acquitted after appeal on the basis of the statute of limitations (Marica 2018).…”