Figure 4 - uploaded by Viktória Mozgai
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Composition of the three buckles based on the hXRF measurements. Black triangle: tongue with a bird's head of the buckle UP, white triangle: tongue with a bird and boar heads of the buckle UP. Elemental composition of silver objects from the 5 th century AD is depicted for comparison (unpublished data).
Source publication
The use of non-destructive and non-invasive analytical methods is widespread in the archaeometric study of metal objects, particularly in the case of precious metal artefacts, from which sampling is not, or in a limited way, allowed due to their high value. In this study, we highlight the main advantages and limitations of non-destructive analytica...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... buckles were manufactured from high-quality silver (>80 wt%), intentionally alloyed with copper (Table 3; Figure 4). Beside the typical minor and trace elements (gold, lead, and bismuth), zinc was detected in each of the buckles. ...
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... buckles were manufactured from relatively high-quality silver (82.7-95.4 wt% Ag), which corresponds well with the general trend that during the 5 th -century AD a gradual debasement of silver alloys occurred towards the end of the century (Figure 4) (Horváth et al., 2019;Mozgai et al., 2019b). The beginning of the 5 th century AD is characterised with high-quality silver alloys with low Au, Pb and Zn and varying Bi content similar to late Roman silver alloys (Hughes and Hall, 1979;Lang et al., 1984;Feugère, 1988;Lang, 2002;Cowell and Hook, 2010;Hook and Callewaert, 2013;Doračić et al., 2015;Lang and Hughes, 2016;Greiff, 2017;Mozgai et al., 2017;Vulić et al., 2017; ...
Context 3
... Mozgai et al. 2021). In contrast, lower quality silver alloys with high Cu, Pb, Zn and Sn content, reaching even the 1:1 Ag:Cu ratio (Figure 4), are more typical for the end of the 5 th century AD (Horváth et al., 2019;Mozgai et al., 2019b). ...
Context 4
... the final Bi/Pb ratio of the cupelled silver depends on the initial Bi content of the silver-bearing lead ores (L'Héritier et al., 2015). The Bi/Pb ratio of the buckles is rather low and consistent, except the back-plate of buckle ZsD (Figure 4), which is typical for the silver alloys from the middle and end of the 5 th century AD (Horváth et al., 2019;Mozgai et al., 2019b), in contrast with silver alloys from the beginning of the 5 th century AD and from late Roman times. The latter usually have more varied Bi/Pb ratios, indicating the use of silver from different ore sources Doračić et al., 2015;Greiff, 2017;Mozgai et al., 2017;Vulić et al., 2017;Mozgai et al., 2020;Mozgai et al. 2021). ...
Context 5
... metallurgical processes, the gold content of the silver does not change radically (L'Héritier et al., 2015), and as a consequence, the Au/Ag ratio remains constant during cupellation (Pernicka, 2014). The buckles show elevated concentrations of gold (0.7-2.1 wt% Au), and, as a result, elevated Au/Ag ratios (Figure 4). Various interpretations are possible for higher gold concentrations, e.g., remnants of former gilding, the re-use of scrap gilded silver, or the use of gold-silver ores. ...
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... only undecorated back-plate that was analysed in the study, used for fastening the strap/belt, belongs to buckle ZsD. Its composition differs completely from the other parts of the buckle and shows similarities to late Roman silver alloys (high silver content, relatively low gold, lead and copper content, and no zinc) (Figure 4). It may have been manufactured by melting Roman silver objects directly, without further alloying. ...
Context 7
... buckles were manufactured from high-quality silver (>80 wt%), intentionally alloyed with copper (Table 3; Figure 4). Beside the typical minor and trace elements (gold, lead, and bismuth), zinc was detected in each of the buckles. ...
Context 8
... buckles were manufactured from relatively high-quality silver (82.7-95.4 wt% Ag), which corresponds well with the general trend that during the 5 th -century AD a gradual debasement of silver alloys occurred towards the end of the century (Figure 4) (Horváth et al., 2019;Mozgai et al., 2019b). The beginning of the 5 th century AD is characterised with high-quality silver alloys with low Au, Pb and Zn and varying Bi content similar to late Roman silver alloys (Hughes and Hall, 1979;Lang et al., 1984;Feugère, 1988;Lang, 2002;Cowell and Hook, 2010;Hook and Callewaert, 2013;Doračić et al., 2015;Lang and Hughes, 2016;Greiff, 2017;Mozgai et al., 2017;Vulić et al., 2017; ...
Context 9
... Mozgai et al. 2021). In contrast, lower quality silver alloys with high Cu, Pb, Zn and Sn content, reaching even the 1:1 Ag:Cu ratio (Figure 4), are more typical for the end of the 5 th century AD (Horváth et al., 2019;Mozgai et al., 2019b). ...
Context 10
... the final Bi/Pb ratio of the cupelled silver depends on the initial Bi content of the silver-bearing lead ores (L'Héritier et al., 2015). The Bi/Pb ratio of the buckles is rather low and consistent, except the back-plate of buckle ZsD (Figure 4), which is typical for the silver alloys from the middle and end of the 5 th century AD (Horváth et al., 2019;Mozgai et al., 2019b), in contrast with silver alloys from the beginning of the 5 th century AD and from late Roman times. The latter usually have more varied Bi/Pb ratios, indicating the use of silver from different ore sources Doračić et al., 2015;Greiff, 2017;Mozgai et al., 2017;Vulić et al., 2017;Mozgai et al., 2020;Mozgai et al. 2021). ...
Context 11
... metallurgical processes, the gold content of the silver does not change radically (L'Héritier et al., 2015), and as a consequence, the Au/Ag ratio remains constant during cupellation (Pernicka, 2014). The buckles show elevated concentrations of gold (0.7-2.1 wt% Au), and, as a result, elevated Au/Ag ratios (Figure 4). Various interpretations are possible for higher gold concentrations, e.g., remnants of former gilding, the re-use of scrap gilded silver, or the use of gold-silver ores. ...
Context 12
... only undecorated back-plate that was analysed in the study, used for fastening the strap/belt, belongs to buckle ZsD. Its composition differs completely from the other parts of the buckle and shows similarities to late Roman silver alloys (high silver content, relatively low gold, lead and copper content, and no zinc) (Figure 4). It may have been manufactured by melting Roman silver objects directly, without further alloying. ...
