Gold Objects Research Articles

A late Roman object from Cove, Dumfries and Galloway, rediscovered

An intriguing gold object with Latin inscriptions was found in the 18th century, in Cove, Dumfries and Galloway. Currently lost, it survived in a few antiquarian accounts. In this paper, in the light of these written sources and parallel examples, the author will try to discuss its function, possible time of import and the character of its deposition.

ECS Classics: The Beginnings of Gold Electroplating

Of all the elements, gold is perhaps the most coveted by humanity. It represents wealth, power, prestige, and a love of both the mortal and the divine. For this metal mankind fought wars, assassinated, tortured, crossed deserts, discovered new continents, and spent centuries trying to create it from other metals. The three reasons for the Spanish exploration are traditionally cited as for gold, God, and glory. Given the ever-increasing price of gold, the manufacture of solid gold objects is extremely expensive and in many cases, impractical due to its softness and high density. The search for a method of depositing a thin layer of gold on an object led to the development of gold gilding and later gold electroplating. Before the advent of the Renaissance and modern science, all advances in chemistry were made in the field of alchemy. The word alchemy is an unusual combination of the Arabic word “al” for “the” and the old Greek word “chemia” that refers to Egypt. Together they loosely translate as “the Egyptian Art.” In the Arabic empires, it was believed that all metals were made up of varying proportions of sulfur and mercury. Gold was viewed as the perfect combination of these two “baser” elements. 1 The greatest alchemist of the Arabs was Geber. He wrote three books on his pursuit of the philosopher’s stone. It is from these works that the word “gibberish” is derived because all three works were nonsensical. For hundreds of years, alchemists throughout Europe tried to decipher his writings, believing that he had encrypted them to protect his secrets. 1

Skeuomorphs’: on the rhetoric of material in the Gumelniţa tradition

The social changes, which characterise the Chalcolithic in southeastern Europe, which coincide with the emergence of metals, imposed a new material and led to the emergence of skeuomorphs (i.e. copies of objects made from a material different from that of the originals). Some gold objects from the Gumelnita tradition were objects of value, such as the valves of exotic shells, which therefore become visible in the form of paraphernalia. The present paper discusses the rhetoric of material visible in the shape and proximity of originals and skeuomorphs.

Payments for land and privilege in Anglo-Saxon England

AbstractA little over five per cent of surviving Anglo-Saxon charters contain some reference to money or purchase. These cover a multitude of transactions: gifts, sales, bequests, annual renders, and so on. They provide a valuable insight into Anglo-Saxon perceptions of wealth and a detailed view of one specific area of exchange. Gold and precious-metal objects emerge as especially prominent, at the expense of silver coin. The formulation of these documents, however, presents a number of obstacles to interpretation, particularly in that no definitive distinction between charters of gift and sale developed in Anglo-Saxon England. Diverse forms of transactions can be exemplified among them – outright purchase, payment for book-right (with or without an earlier claim to the land in question) and gifts to neutralize potential challenges of title – but these show little correlation with ‘price’ or with the complex social background to every act of exchange.

The Golden Dilemma

Gold objects have existed for thousands of years but for many investors gold has only recently become a tradable investment opportunity. Gold has been described as an inflation hedge, a “golden constant”, with a long run real return of zero. Yet over 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 year investment horizons the variation in the nominal and real returns of gold has not been driven by realized inflation. The real price of gold is currently high compared to history. In the past, when the real price of gold was above average, subsequent real gold returns have been below average. Given this situation is it time to explore “this time is different” rationalizations? We show that new mined supply is surprisingly unresponsive to prices. In addition, authoritative estimates suggest that about three quarters of the achievable world supply of gold has already been mined. On the demand side, we focus on the official gold holdings of many countries. If prominent emerging markets increase their gold holdings to average per capita or per GDP holdings of developed countries, the real price of gold may rise even further from today’s elevated levels. As a result investors in gold face a daunting dilemma: 1) embrace a view that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”, there is a “golden constant” and the purchasing power of gold is likely to fall or 2) embrace a view that “this time is different” and the “golden constant” is dead. Related research: Erb and Harvey (2015), The Golden ConstantErb and Harvey (2012a), An Impressionistic View of the 'Real' Price of Gold Around the World.

Studies on archaeological gold items found in Romanian territory using X-Ray-based analytical spectrometry

This paper is an overview of the work developed by our group in the investigations of museum objects and alluvial gold, reflected in a series of studies published between 2000–2011, supplemented with new results, unpublished up-to-date. The X-ray based spectrometric techniques employed range from various X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) investigations to ion beam analysis, including synchrotron radiation XRF and micro-Particle Induced X-ray Emission. The gold objects discussed are mainly part of the Sarmizegetusa Dacian hoards—spiraled bracelets (armbands) and coins. After obtaining in 2011 the permission of the Romanian authorities to take very small (1–2 mg) samples from the most “unimportant” areas of the Dacian bracelets and several Koson staters, to analyze them by micro-SR-XRF at BESSY, in February 2012, the investigation of several micro-areas of 17 stater and 28 bracelet samples revealed important micro-structural inhomogeneity, especially in Sn and Cu. The same inhomogeneous micro-structure has been seen in Transylvanian alluvial gold. The analyses revealed details on the fingerprint of geological gold deposits and also the main characteristics of ancient gold metallurgy procedures used by the Dacians: a relatively low temperature (lower than Au melting point) and hammering during heating to obtain an ingot through sintering. The use of the sintering procedure was proved for the spiraled bracelets and the Koson without monogram coins, a tradition starting in the Bronze Age in Transylvanian gold processing. The existence of micro-inclusions of Ta-minerals in alluvial gold was also detected, explaining Ta trace presence in the artifacts from the Pietroasa hoard.

O kovinah v Heziodovih pesnitvah Teogonija in Dela in dnevi: kratek razmislek

Prispevek skuša ovrednotiti vlogo kovin v Heziodovih pesnitvah Teogonija ter Dela in dnevi. Zlato je pri Heziodu božanska kovina – le bogovi ga nosijo, zlati, najboljši izmed rodov, je prav tako bogovom najbližji. V obeh pesnitvah redko omenjeno srebro je slabše od zlata in ni več atribut bogov. S srebrom Heziod opisuje vrtince rek, visoke stebre v podzemlju, nimfe. Tako kot je srebro manj vredno od zlata, je tudi srebrni rod manj vreden od zlatega. Bronu, prvi zlitini, pripiše pesnik lastnosti trdote in moči, iz njega sta izdelana orodje in orožje, s katerim bronasti rod bojuje vojne. Železo se v pesnitvah pojavi kot kovina iz katere sta izdelana orodje in orožje, železni rod, najslabšega izmed vseh rodov, pestita žalost in težko delo. Kljub temu, da je izdelava železnih predmetov spodbudila velik tehnološki napredek, pomeni ta kovina pesniku sinonim za trdo delo, napore in bedo – skratka popolno nasprotje zlatemu, tj. božanskemu.

“Transylvanian gold“ of hydrothermal origin: an EMPA study in an archaeological provenancing perspective

For the last 2000 years gold has been mined in the Southern Apuseni Mountains in Romania from both primary (hydrothermal) and secondary (river placer) deposits. The gold-bearing area covers about 900 km 2 and represents the richest Au-Ag province in Europe. The ore originating from the Southern Apuseni Mountains is known as ''Transylvanian gold''. The hydrothermal deposits studied here are associated with Neogene volcanism and classify as intermediate- to low-sulphidation epithermal type. We studied sixteen samples from nine occurrences, i.e., Rosia Montan˘ Botes¸, V^ C˘ araci, Musariu, M˘ agura, S˘ ac˘^ Trestia, and Techereu with electron microprobe analyses (EMPA). Three elements were identified in these samples, with the following mean values: Au - 71.13 wt%, Ag - 28.33 wt% and Te - 0.15 wt%. They vary significantly more than shown in previous studies. Composition ranges from Au-rich silver (Au0.43Ag0.57) to gold (Au0.79Ag0.21). The compositional heterogeneity is documented at various scales: within the Southern Apuseni Mountains region, within one ore deposit (e.g., Rosia Montan˘ V^alcoi-Corabia) or even within a single sample (Trestia occurrence). Tellurium concentration up to 0.34 wt% is one of the highest found in Transylvanian gold. The studied gold samples outline a specific pattern with relatively high Ag and significant Te content compared with previously published data on primary gold from Southern Apuseni Mountains and various other deposits outside Romania. This pattern can be considered as typical geochemical signature for Transylvanian gold. These findings on major Transylvanian gold deposits represent sound information for further provenancing studies of ancient gold objects. The consistency of the electron microprobe data and their general availability in laboratories around the world are great advantages compared with those obtained by more sophisticated methods.

The La Tolita—Tumaco Culture: Master Metalsmiths in Gold and Platinum

AbstractThe archaeological setting of the La Tolita—Tumaco culture is briefly discussed as a framework for the examination of the metallurgy of the area, in particular the gold—platinum alloys used to make platinum-coated gold objects, platinum—gold sintered alloys, and platinum—gold foil—plated objects. The sophisticated approach to the manipulation of metallic materials resulted in several notable advances being made by the La Tolita—Tumaco culture: the production of extremely fine rectangular wire, bimetallic tumbaga alloys, small lead spheres inlaid with platinum, soldering, granulation, and a degree of sophistication to metalworking that is very impressive and, in some cases, unique in the world. Some selected examples are discussed, and the microstructure of a representative selection of the La Tolita material, bimetallic tumbaga construction, the initial sintered gold—platinum product, platinum-plated gold, and heavily worked gold—platinum composite artifacts are presented.

Analyses of Helium, Uranium, and Thorium in Ancient Gold Objects and Estimates of their Time of Manufacturing

Analyses of Helium, Uranium, and Thorium in Ancient Gold Objects and Estimates of their Time of Manufacturing

Gems and gemstones: timeless natural beauty of the mineral world

are objects of wealth, icons of beauty, and emblems of the very best of everything. Given as tokens of love and affection, they also come in a kaleidoscopic array of hues and can be either mineral or organic. can command a person's gaze in the way they play with light and express rich color. And they can evoke feelings of passion, greed, mystery, and warmth. For millennia, gems have played an important role in human culture: they have significant value, both financially and within folklore and mythology. But just what are gems, exactly? This lavishly illustrated volume - the most ambitious publication of its kind - provides a general introduction to gems and natural gemstones, conveying their timeless beauty and exploring similarities among different species and varieties. Gems and Gemstones features nearly three hundred color images of the cut gems, precious and semiprecious stones, gem-quality mineral specimens, and fine jewelry to be unveiled in the new Grainger Hall of at the Field Museum in Chicago this October. The book and exhibition's overarching theme will be the relationship between finished gems and their natural origin: while beautiful as faceted and polished pieces of jewelry, gems are often just as lovely - or even more so - as gemstones in their natural state. For example, an aquamarine or emerald as originally found in a mine with its natural crystal faces can be as stunning as any cut and polished gem prepared for a ring, bracelet, or charm. Mindful of both ancient and modern times, Gems and Gemstones also includes fun-filled facts and anecdotes that broaden the historical portrait of each specimen. When Harry Winston, for instance, donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1958, he sent it through the U.S. mail wrapped in plain brown paper. And for anyone who has ever marveled at the innovations of top jewelry designers, Gems and Gemstones features a dazzling array of polished stones, gold objects, and creations from around the world. Diamonds, sapphires, rubies, amethysts, pearls, topaz, amber - every major gem gets its due in this invaluable reference.

Egyptian Gold in Prepalatial Crete? A Consideration of the Evidence

This study analyzes the evidence for the origin of gold found in secure prepalatial contexts in Crete. As there are no natural gold sources on Crete, extra-island interaction was required to procure this raw material. Information regarding the origin of prepalatial gold may, therefore, throw light on Crete’s interactions during this formative period. Unfortunately, there are many difficulties in sourcing ancient gold, which make it impossible to know with certainty where the gold used in the production of prepalatial objects originated. However, careful analysis of the contexts of prepalatial gold objects, which demonstrates the frequent co-occurrence of gold with hippopotamus ivory, and the distribution of gold products and gold working technologies in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, provide intriguing evidence to make a strong case for Egypt as a principal source of gold arriving in Crete during the prepalatial period, likely via the port city of Byblos on the Levantine coast.

Helium, uranium and thorium analyses of ancient and modern gold objects: estimates of their time of manufacturing

Authenticating archaeological gold objects is a major problem, as gold is probably the most difficult material in terms of detecting modern forgeries. In 1996 we published the results of the study of faked and genuine gold crystals from the Santa Elena gold mine in Venezuela, and demonstrated that the U/Th – He dating method is a powerful tool for detecting forgeries among gold objects. U and Th decay by emitting He atoms that remain stored in gold. By measuring U, Th, and He, the time when the He trapping process started can be determined. In the 1996 publication we also mentioned that the same method can be applied to ancient gold objects, in order to determine the time when they experienced their last melting process and, thus, to verify their antiquity. In the present work we report on a systematic and quantitative study of He, U, and Th in a large number of ancient and modern gold objects.

New finds from an old treasure: the archaeometric study of new gold objects from the Phoenician sanctuary of El Carambolo (Camas, Seville, Spain)

In this paper, we present the results of an archaeometric study by SEM-EDS, carried out on six gold objects originating from the historical site where, 50 years ago, an important gold treasure, belonging to the Orientalizing-Tartesian period, was found. The new finds came to light recently, during rescue excavations that unearthed a monumental complex described as a Phoenician sanctuary.

Investigation of ancient gold objects from Artemision at Ephesus using portable µ-XRF

During two measurement campaigns in the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul and the Ephesus Museum in Selcuk, Turkey, more than 80 ancient gold objects (e.g. appliques, statuettes and coins) from the 8th-6th centuries BC were analyzed using portable XRF instruments in order to obtain information on the chemical composition and homogeneity of the artefacts discovered during excavations in the sanctuary of Artemis at Ephesus. These results and complementary studies on the manufacturing techniques employed for making these objects will contribute to our knowledge of metalworking, trade, as well as the transfer of ideas and technologies at Ephesus and in Western Asia in the Archaic period. The objects can be characterized as homogeneous alloys, mainly consisting of gold (Au), silver (Ag) and copper (Cu). A high compositional variation of Au and Ag between different objects could be determined (Au between 48.7 and 99.9%, Ag between <detection limit (dl) and 50.9%, Cu between <dl and 4.4%). These results demonstrated the range of gold alloys represented within the collection and allowed a discrimination between natural and artificial gold alloys (including the identification of ‘refined’ gold). In some cases, objects which were closely related from a typological, stylistic and/or technological point of view were also similar in composition, differing only in the sub-percent range.

Location of gold placers in Oaxaca

During the late post-Classic period (1250-1521 AD), the Mesoamerican region of Oaxaca was well known for the pre-Hispanic gold metallurgy developed by the Mixtecs and Zapotecs. In this epoch, the most important burials were adorned with exceptional jewels, such as the well know items of Tomb 7 from the archaeological site of Monte Alban, and from other sites, like Zaachila. In addition to the Central Valley of Oaxaca and the Mixtec area, there are other zones in Oaxaca where the ancient goldsmiths manufactured exquisite gold objects, like the Northern Sierra of Oaxaca, or the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Nevertheless, there is a huge lack of information regarding the location of the principal gold placers of Oaxaca. The objective of this paper is to situate the most important gold placers of Oaxaca during the late post-classic period and the first decades of the Colonial times.

Treasures of Portuguese archaeology Notes towards a preventive conservation project

The permanent exhibition “Treasures of Portuguese Archaeology” of the Portuguese National Archaeological Museum is composed mainly of gold and silver artefacts which present extensive surface corrosion. The construction of the exhibition room dates from the late 1980s, and it was conceived with the highest security standards in mind. However, at that time, the importance of the choice of compatible materials and equipments for the exhibition of metal artefacts was still unknown, and the same was true for the influence in terms of corrosion development, even for gold objects, if an inappropriate material was selected. Preventive conservation directives and actions have been developed since then, and presently one is confronted with new paradigms for the exhibition and preservation of artefacts, and, moreover, of cultural heritage. A preventive conservation project, which is currently in its initial stages, was set up with the objective of identifying and understanding the pathologies observed, in order to correct the problems presented by the exhibition room. This article presents an overall view of the project, a description of the alterations observed, and a summary of the methods proposed for obtaining responses to the respective problems, with the purpose of correcting the room’s fragilities.

Observations and questions on gold artefacts from underwater excavations

In the present paper, we will study examples of settlement excavations that can sometimes reveal abundant gold material. These -underwater excavations took place in Alexandria and Aboukir Bay, Egypt, where we found numerous gold or gold-plated objects. Of these, some objects provide us with information about the trade routes used in those times, and others show us that refinement existed even during the Byzantine period. Some objects tell us fabulous stories, while others attest a high mastery of the available technology.Through specific examples, we will approach the scientific, aesthetic, historical and technological aspects pertaining to these gold objects.While most of these gold objects, jewellery and coins, have been studied before, and the results published elsewhere, considering the number of excavated objects, it is typically the less spectacular ones or the ones that were too difficult to interpret that have been neglected.Being an archaeologist specialised in the restoration of metal, I am thus not a metallurgist, a technologist, or even a numismatist, nor a historian specialised in the production or trade of gold objects. However, on the boat, underwater, or in the land laboratory, many questions concerning these archaeological objects deserve attention.With the help of three Case studies, we will see that some problems related to these objects have come up, and that a close collaboration with various gold artefact specialists appears necessary in order to try to solve these uncertainties.

Synchrotron Radiation Induced X-Ray Fluorescence for the characterization of ancient gold objects

Due to their non-destructive character, X-ray analytical methods are widespread in the field of archaeometry. In the present study, the use of synchrotron radiation induced X-ray fluorescence analysis (SR-XRF) is illustrated on three examples: a silver point drawing of Jan van Eyck, the Hiddensee Gold Treasure, and the Sky Disc of Nebra. The possibility to analyse large objects in normal atmosphere results in information regarding their origin, uniformity, and the manufacturing process.

The earliest gold objects in Italy: a review of the archaeological evidence

This paper aims to provide updated information on prehistoric gold from Italy, originating from pre-Iron Age contexts. The evidence dating from the beginning of the metal Age is scanty indeed: to date, only 4 objects appear to be from an earlier period than the middle Bronze Age. more gold finds were discovered from the MBA onwards, in part from funerary contexts, representing property or funerary gifts pertaining to individuals of both sexes who attained a high status within the community.