The ANCIENT CHARM team had the opportunity of examining with the newly developed techniques a series of selected archaeological and artistic samples coming from important European museums and institutions.
The samples were selected following the criteria of:
- complexity
- archaeological or artistic interest
- manageable size
The Gates of Paradise
Integrated neutron studies of Lorenzo Ghiberti’s relieves from the doors of the Florence Baptistery (XV Century) to solve conservation problems were performed by the ANCIENT CHARM team. The Baptistery east door, made of bronze and gold, are so impressive that they were called “the Gates of Paradise” by the Florentine people.
Two gold-glided bronze heads ( Prophet Head and North Head ), in different state of conservation, were examined.
The aim of the study were to establish the state of the gold gilding of two bronze heads and its distribution (is there still gold over this heavy patina?) to study the copper corrosion, to study re-melting extension inside the Prophet Head and, eventually, the presence of other materials in the casts.
PGAI/NT experiments were carried out at the PGAA station at FRM-II and NRCI/NRT measurements were performed at ISIS
The jewels of an ancient warrior
Two samples were examined coming from Avar graves of the Carpatian Basin.
The first object is a 6th-7th century disc fibula (Almandinscheibenfibel) from the Kölked-Feketekapu necropolis. It has almandine inlays and an iron band around it. This type of fibula was the characteristic jewellery of the 6th Century AD.
This fibula was analysed both with PGAI/NT and NRT . According to preliminary results it appeared that a relatively high purity gold was lining the cells instead of the expected and more common silver or silver-gold; accordingly mapping for gold was performed over the whole object.
The other object was a 7th Century belt mount, made of two iron plate with silver inlaying and ornaments.
The NRT analysis showed the traces of a possible ancient restoration/fixing of the mount, in form of a copper alloy welding.
A tale of two swords
Two bronze-age swords (the Buggenum sword and the Jupthaas sword) from the Netherlands were analysed. Both of them have divided the archaeologists: some though they were real weapons, some others that they were only ceremonial swords. Moreover, some scientists doubted of the authenticity of the Jupthaas blade.
The analysis held by the ANCIENT CHARM team have put in evidence not only that the constitution of the Jupthaas blade is perfectly coherent with other weapons of similar age and provenance, but also that the edges and spire of the Buggenum sword were homogenised and hardened by hammering. What could have been the goal of this work, if not to make it a strong, fully functional weapon?
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Supported by the EU through FP5, FP6 and FP7