Metallurgical investigation on fourth century BCE silver jewellery of two hoards from Samaria (original) (raw)
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A selection of fourth century BCE silver jewelry, which is part of the Samaria and Nablus Hoards, was studied using nondestructive and minimally destructive analyses. A metallurgical methodology was applied and improved, based on the composition of the joints and bulk of the objects. The results indicate that most of the analyzed jewelry is made of silver containing a small percentage of copper, with higher Cu concentrations presented in the brazing and contact melting joints. The manufacturing processes of the jewelry from both hoards involved similar processes, including casting, hammering, bending, cutting, twisting, decorating by plastic deformation, granulating, and three joining methods. These techniques demonstrate that the artifacts were created by trained silversmiths. Our study provides better understanding of the technological skills in the late Persian-period province of Samaria and has implications regarding the production of local silver coins produced in the southern Levant.
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A small silver hoard purportedly found in the environs of Samaria during the 1970s is discussed below. The hoard consists of 25 silver-alloy items and includes jewelry, Hacksilber and two late fifth-century BCE coins from Sidon and Philistia, which provide its approximate burial date. The hoard was found within a ceramic pyxis. The items were studied from typological and archaeo-metallurgical perspectives (SEM–EDS chemical analysis), as well as thin-section petrographic analysis. The inclusion of the Sidonian and Philistian coins may demonstrate the initial and partial state of monetization within the southern Levant and corresponds with the recorded circulation patterns for these coin types during the period.
Characterization of eleven copper alloy artifacts, dated between the 4th and 6th (or early 7th) centuries AD, retrieved from archeological excavations of remains associated with Samaritan sites along the central Coastal Plain of Israel, was performed. The assemblage includes three inscribed polygonal finger rings, four finger rings with decorated bezel (of which one bears a legend in the Samaritan script), two inscribed amulet pendants, and two thin cylindrical foils (containers of phylacteries, designated for the safekeeping of a magical or religious text written on papyri or parchment). The aim of this research is to use archeometallurgical non-destructive and destructive methods in order to determine manufacturing processes of the objects, and if possible their production place, their origin of ore and their use.
16th International Conference on “Cultural Heritage and New Technologies” Vienna, 2011
This study is devoted to investigation of origin source of jewellery and metallic items stored in the National Museum of Azerbaijan History at the National Academy of Sciences. The results of analyzes made by the XRF methods identified the chemical composition of archaeological monuments and showed that, the majority of jewellery are made from the local raw materials by Azerbaijanian jewelers.
TÜBA-KED, 2021
Jewelry is a material relic that people have used for various purposes and assigned various meanings to from the past to the present. Jewelry allows us to identify people's beliefs, cultures, social relationships, and even the technologies they used during the time they were made. With the discovery of mines and the advancement of technology, jewelry made from ready-made materials found in nature in the early periods has been replaced by precious metals, stones, and alternative materials. Gold jewelry and jewelry pieces acquired through purchase and confiscation have been examined at the Diyarbakir Archaeological Museum to observe this change. The artifacts cannot be dated because they have not been discovered through systematic excavations and the context in which they had been discovered is unidentified. Furthermore, because there is no method for archaeometrically dating gold artifacts, national and international jewelry catalogues, articles, and theses written on jewelry have been studied in the dating of jewelry covered by the study. Following these reviews, visual comparisons have been used to determine the possible dates of the jewelry. The chemical composition of the gold jewelry and jewelry pieces has been determined using the Portable Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence spectrometer (P-EDXRF) after visual descriptions of the gold jewelry and jewelry pieces have been made. It has been attempted here to comprehend how the gold ratio in jewelry changes on periodically basis in this study, 17 gold artifacts have been introduced, and the analysis results have been interpreted. When the overall chemical composition of the artifacts has been examined, gold + silver and gold + silver + copper content has been determined as a result of the analysis. The gold content in pre-Roman jewelry has been lower than in Roman jewelry, and the majority of the artifacts have been electrum, according to periodic comparisons of the contents of these alloys. It was acknowledged that
2021
Nishapur is a historical city in the ancient Khorasan region, located in the northeast of Iran. Due to its location on the Silk Road, Nishapur enjoyed great economic prosperity and as a result contains many archaeological sites from prehistoric to post-Islamic periods. Shahrak-e Firouzeh is one such site, dating back to 2 nd millennium BC, containing numerous metallic objects and metallurgic remains from silver refining by cupellation. This study investigates the manufacture of a unique silver lidded dish decorated with bas-relief mythological designs. Different techniques, including SEM-EDS, micro-PIXE, and Metallography were used to characterize the dish. Results obtained by micro-PIXE and SEM-EDS reveal the use of an intentional silver alloy containing about 92 wt. % silver and about 3.80 wt.% copper. Date also suggested the use of an advanced silver extraction process to obtain high purity silver. The presence of elements such as calcium were associated with exposure to the burial environment and the extraction process. Metallographic examination revealed that this extremely thin object was decorated with complex bas-relief designs which had been produced by cold working, and annealing based upon the presence of twin straight lines on some parts of the surface and the changing gradation in tiny grains and twin uneven lines on the raised parts.
Archaeometric Characterization of a Group of Gold Jewelry from the Diyarbakir Archaeological Museum
Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi Kültür Envanteri Dergisi, 2021
Jewelry is a material relic that people have used for various purposes and assigned various meanings to from the past to the present. Jewelry allows us to identify people's beliefs, cultures, social relationships, and even the technologies they used during the time they were made. With the discovery of mines and the advancement of technology, jewelry made from ready-made materials found in nature in the early periods has been replaced by precious metals, stones, and alternative materials. Gold jewelry and jewelry pieces acquired through purchase and confiscation have been examined at the Diyarbakir Archaeological Museum to observe this change. The artifacts cannot be dated because they have not been discovered through systematic excavations and the context in which they had been discovered is unidentified. Furthermore, because there is no method for archaeometrically dating gold artifacts, national and international jewelry catalogues, articles, and theses written on jewelry have been studied in the dating of jewelry covered by the study. Following these reviews, visual comparisons have been used to determine the possible dates of the jewelry. The chemical composition of the gold jewelry and jewelry pieces has been determined using the Portable Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence spectrometer (P-EDXRF) after visual descriptions of the gold jewelry and jewelry pieces have been made. It has been attempted here to comprehend how the gold ratio in jewelry changes on periodically basis in this study, 17 gold artifacts have been introduced, and the analysis results have been interpreted. When the overall chemical composition of the artifacts has been examined, gold + silver and gold + silver + copper content has been determined as a result of the analysis. The gold content in pre-Roman jewelry has been lower than in Roman jewelry, and the majority of the artifacts have been electrum, according to periodic comparisons of the contents of these alloys. It was acknowledged that
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Knowledge of the number and location of mines of the ancient periods has been the subject of common research between archaeologists and archaeo-mineralogists. The scientific significance of the subject becomes apparent when the direct relation between the power of the ancient rulers and number of the mines they owned is perceived. The gold and silver mines, like today, were accounted as the main economic credit and backing of the ancient states. Although mixing silver with other metals was used to produce diverse metal artefacts, silver on its own was most popular for minting coins. Since coin was a symbol of the sovereignty of rulers and an indicator of the economic power of ancient civilizations, silver mining was probably one of the main activities of the ancient craftsmen. The main aim of this research is to investigate the conditions surrounding, and the techniques used for, extraction of silver from different mines during the reign of Alexander of Macedon, Seleucid rulers (336...