Abstract
Early Iron Age gold buttons from Castro dos Ratinhos, Fortios and Outeiro da Cabeca were analysed by conventional EDXRF, Micro-PIXE, SEM-EDS and Optical Microscopy. EDXRF results point out to a rather homogeneous alloy composition throughout all the analysed buttons. PIXE microanalyses show that all the button components (disk, tab and peripheral grooved decorated rod) have the same alloy composition. PIXE and SEM-EDS microanalyses, supplemented with optical microscopy characterization, show the absence of chemical composition differences between distinct components and joining zones, suggesting that no solder had been applied, i.e. that a partial melting/solid state diffusion process had been used for the welding of button components. Finally, the noticeable similar compositions together with the use of the same welding process and the very similar artefact typologies suggest that those small gold treasures could be interpreted as the result of the work of a single metallurgical workshop, probably located somewhere in the South-Western Iberian Peninsula.
Highlights
A set of seven gold buttons were recovered during recent archaeological excavations at Castro dos Ratinhos (Fig. 1)
Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) and Micro-PIXE are non invasive, multielemental and relatively fast techniques, which have been frequently used in the chemical characterization of archaeological metallic materials, namely gold artefacts and solder alloys (Demortier 1991; Demortier et al 1999; Alves et al 2002; Bugoi et al 2003; Soares et al 2004)
PIXE and SEM-EDS microanalyses, supplemented by metallographic analyses carried out by Optical Microscopy (OM), on a very small bit cut from a gold button already fragmented allowed identifying safely the welding process used
Summary
A set of seven gold buttons were recovered during recent archaeological excavations at Castro dos Ratinhos (Fig. 1). This archaeological site is an important proto-historic fortified settlement at the Guadiana Valley, located close to the Alqueva Dam. Since 2004, archaeological excavations revealed the presence and monumentality of a defensive system with several wall lines, slopes and a deep ditch (Silva and Berrocal-Rangel 2005). The seven small gold buttons were recovered in that building during archaeological digging. The archaeological record suggests that this gold treasure was hidden in some moment during the 8th century BC, when the large building in the acropolis was abandoned, probably due to violent events. Close to the gold buttons a woven fabric imprint in a bit of clay was discovered suggesting that the jewels were sewn to the tissue using the small tab in the reverse of each button (Berrocal-Rangel and Silva 2007)
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