Thracian golden wreath from Kabyle, Bulgaria:        chemical composition

Lesigyarski, Deyan; Zlateva, Boika; Lyubomirova, Valentina; Stoyanov, Totko; Kuleff, I.

doi:10.4000/archeosciences.4440

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 6 publications

(11 reference statements)

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“…4 the gold leaf tesserae with gilded objects (gold leaf < 1 μm) and gold leaf (> 1 μm) and foil (< c.30 μm) of very different chronology, although produced around the Mediterranean basin. They are Egyptian, Middle Kingdom to Roman Period [75,[101][102][103]; Hellenistic and Roman, from Greece [104], Italy [105], and Thracia [106]; and mediaeval [21,107,108]. The gold leaf < 1 μm thick (tesserae and gilding) forms the same chemical pattern in the ternary diagram, and the majority contain more than 97 wt% Au.…”

Section: Gold Leaf Tesserae and Gildingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gold leaf tesserae: tracing the origins of gold using synchrotron-based techniques

2023

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To gain insight into the possible origin of the gold used in the production of tesserae containing gold leaf less than 0.5 μm thick placed between two layers of glass, we propose a non-destructive synchrotron radiation (SR) XRF protocol based on sequential analysis under optimised analytical conditions. Using this protocol, trace element analysis is achieved with detection limits of 1-6 mg/kg. As Pt and Au have adjacent fluorescence energies, we tested the most challenging situation, when Pt is present in very low concentrations in gold. Data obtained by double-dispersive XRF (D 2 XRF) and μXRF for fourth-ninth-century mosaics decorating nine Eastern and Western religious buildings show that the Eastern and Western tesserae are made from different alloys. However, these alloys are identical to those used to make gold leaf for gilding, because plastic deformation requires the use of gold alloys with high ductility and malleability. Although trace element composition of gold used in the concerned period is only available for coins, by comparing the amounts of Pt contained in the tesserae and in the coins we show that Roman tesserae are made from Roman gold, as described in the documentary sources. We observe for the Byzantine period the use of a Byzantine gold and of gold supposedly from different stages of recycling, and we suggest the use of Umayyad and Abbasid gold for the production of Islamic tesserae.

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Section: Gold Leaf Tesserae and Gildingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gold leaf tesserae: tracing the origins of gold using synchrotron-based techniques

2023

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“…Establishing provenance is of immense value to the historical record and one which relies heavily on modern analytical techniques. Lesigyarski et al 32 carried out a thorough analysis of trace elements in a 4th century Bulgarian gold wreath. The major elements (Ag, Au and Cu) were determined using ICP-OES and a further 26 trace elements were determined by ICP-MS.…”

Section: Forewordmentioning

confidence: 99%