Abstract
The analysis of Early Iron Age gold jewelry from Hankarinsky Dol and Inskoy Dol in the Altai, Arzhan II royal mound in Tuva, and Filippovka I and II royal mounds in the Southern Urals, has detected platinoid inclusions similar to those in artifacts from the Near East. Their morphology and composition suggest that gold was mined from placer deposits located near the gold and platinum bearing ultramafi c belts. Microinclusions consist of solid solutions of osmium, iridium, and ruthenium. Their nomenclature was evaluated by the proportion of these components. Triangular plots of microinclusions in artifacts from the Urals reveal four clusters: principal (ruthenium and iridium-osmium) and secondary (osmium-ruthenium and iridium-ruthenium), the latter relating to nanoscale particles surrounding larger ones. Their emergence is due to the impact of gold melt on microinclusions. During melting, heated air in micropores could cause oxidation of osmium with subsequent assimilation of oxidation products by melt. Micropores, 1–0.4 μ in size, were revealed in 5–10 %. This should be taken into account when comparing the composition of microinclusions and minerals from tentative placer sources. Artifacts from Siberia show a mostly ruthenium tendency. Osmium-ruthenium and iridium-osmium trends were also detected, but not the iridium-ruthenium trend, possibly due to small sample size relating to Siberia. The presence of PGE microinclusions in ancient gold artifacts may suggest that these were manufactured locally.
Highlights
The analysis of Early Iron Age gold jewelry from Hankarinsky Dol and Inskoy Dol in the Altai, Arzhan II royal mound in Tuva, and Filippovka I and II royal mounds in the Southern Urals, has detected platinoid inclusions similar to those in artifacts from the Near East. Their morphology and composition suggest that gold was mined from placer deposits located near the gold and platinum bearing ultramafic belts
Microinclusions consist of solid solutions of osmium, iridium, and ruthenium
Triangular plots of microinclusions in artifacts from the Urals reveal four clusters: principal and secondary, the latter relating to nanoscale particles surrounding larger ones
Summary
Зайков[1, 2], Л.Т. Юминов[1, 2]
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