Origen y trayectoria de una técnica esquiva: el dorado sobre metal

Abstract

Research on mercury or fire gilding technology during Prehistory and Antiquity is at its beginnings due to the fact that its identification and characterization is completely dependent on analytical techniques, mainly non destructive Archaeometry techniques allowing an easy characterization of the archaeological objects. Actually we rely on a small number of analytical data, much more limited if we place ourselves within the Iberian peninsula or if we are concerned with the early stages of the use of this technology because... nobody finds what it is not looked for. We submit a summary of data anlyisis by XRF and PIXE in order to characterize two groups of items: on the one hand a special type of iberian brooch with animals and hunting scenes, made up of gilded silver, and on the other the visigothic treasure of Torredonjimeno, Jaen. From the debate on these results the hypothesis of a local origin for fire gilding technology during the iberian period, about 4th century B.C., has come out regardless other centers of possible inception in Europe or the Mediterranean. A final stage would be represented by visigothic jewellery that closes the late Antiquity technological domain system up.