Archeology Students at MIC

Within the Archeometry II course, the demonstration measurements using the PIXE method on various materials at MIC were performed. We have shown the typical composition of bronze from the Late Bronze Age, the composition of the bronze-iron alloy and the composition of bronze in ingots with a large proportion of lead. We looked at how the authenticity of objects, made of precious metals, can be concluded from the inclusions of impurities. Thus, the proportion of gold in a Celtic silver coin was measured and compared with the composition of modern objects made of gold and silver. We combined surface measurements with density measurements, which was particularly instructive for a 19th-century Japanese gold coin, which is made of an alloy of gold and silver. Just to make an impression, we also measured gamma ray spectra, which can be used to measure light elements in glass or modern aluminum bronzes.