Электронно-зондовый микроанализ археологического цветного металла (на примере находок V–VI вв. н. э. из погребений Варнинского могильника)

Abstract

The article introduces into scientific circulation the first data on the composition of non-ferrous metals of the early Middle Ages in the territory of the river Cheptza. To obtain a comprehensive description of archaeological metal of the 5th–6th centuries samples of 55 items from 15 burials of the Varninsky burial ground were prepared. To conduct the study, a previously tested method of quantitative elemental analysis of the samples was used. The obtained data were entered into an analytical table containing the information on the percentage of components and data from archaeological finds. The analysis of the results revealed that in the 5th–6th centuries people used mainly multicomponent zinc-containing alloys for the manufacture of jewellery and costume elements. The formal approach to the classification of non-ferrous metal alloys was revised: in addition to bronze and brass, zinc-containing bronzes are singled out into a special category illustrating the numerous remelting of non-ferrous metals. Particular attention is drawn to the large number of things based on not copper alloy, but tin alloy. So-called prescription alloys with specified characteristics were identified in small quantities: "pure" twocomponent brass with a high zinc content was identified in only four samples, and bronze was represented by eight analysed samples. The first preliminary measurements illustrate that the population of the polomskaya culture mainly made necessary things from scrap non-ferrous metals and did not have the opportunity to obtain semi-finished products – ingots. The present investigation established the features of using electron probe analysis to study archaeological finds.