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Keywords = Tumbaga

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11 pages, 5938 KiB  
Article
Characterization of an Ancient Bimetallic Alloy from Moche Civilization (Peru)
by Marta Porcaro, Roberto Cesareo, Angel Bustamante and Antonio Brunetti
Materials 2023, 16(22), 7211; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16227211 - 17 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1221
Abstract
The Moche civilization in Peru developed marvelous metallurgy, primarily using alloys of gold, copper and silver, with the most famous of them called Tumbaga, which resembles pure gold after a depletion process on its surface. However, they also created objects with more standard [...] Read more.
The Moche civilization in Peru developed marvelous metallurgy, primarily using alloys of gold, copper and silver, with the most famous of them called Tumbaga, which resembles pure gold after a depletion process on its surface. However, they also created objects with more standard single-layer alloys or gilding. To distinguish between these techniques in a non-destructive manner is essential. Here, we analyzed a thigh protector, composed of two parts, one seemingly in silver and the other seemingly in gold. The sample was analyzed using X-ray fluorescence measurements integrated with Monte Carlo simulation. The results show that the silver part is formed of a silver-based alloy covered in a corrosion layer, while the gold part is made of Tumbaga. Moreover, for the first time, the gold profiles of different Tumbaga gold objects, from the same burial, were compared, allowing us to obtain information about the standardization of their manufacture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Advanced Materials Characterization)
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14 pages, 5934 KiB  
Article
Combining X-ray Fluorescence and Monte Carlo Simulation Methods to Differentiate between Tumbaga and Gold-Alloy or Gildings
by Antonio Brunetti, Marta Porcaro, Angel Bustamante, Giovanni Stegel and Roberto Cesareo
Materials 2022, 15(13), 4452; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15134452 - 24 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2016
Abstract
Depleted metals have been produced since many centuries ago. Probably the most famous examples from ancient times are the so-called Tumbaga gold artifacts, whose production was introduced by the pre-Colombian civilizations. Tumbaga-like structures have been identified also in modern nanotechnological materials. In both [...] Read more.
Depleted metals have been produced since many centuries ago. Probably the most famous examples from ancient times are the so-called Tumbaga gold artifacts, whose production was introduced by the pre-Colombian civilizations. Tumbaga-like structures have been identified also in modern nanotechnological materials. In both cases, but specially for the ancient Tumbaga, due to their preciousness, their characterization should be obtained by non-destructive analysis. Several analytical protocols have been developed, some of them non-destructive, such as those based on X-ray Fluorescence, but the results obtained do not always allow for a reliable identification of Tumbaga with respect to gilding or single alloy samples. Besides the capability to distinguish between different structures of the sample, it is also important to obtain a quantitative estimation of its composition. In order to meet this demand, a new approach based on X-ray Fluorescence coupled to Monte Carlo simulations is proposed. It allows one to distinguish easily between the three manufacturing techniques and to quantify the composition of the sample without any destructive sampling. It constitutes a new tool for the study of complex alloy structures. The protocol is applied here to some ancient Tumbaga gold samples and is described in detail, comparing the results to those obtained with other techniques. Full article
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