D.R. ABBASOVA / A. RUSTAMBAYOVA / M. ZEYNALOVA
(Institute of Radiation Problems of AzNAS, National Museum of History of AzNAS, Azerbaijan)
Application of new technologies for the metal content determination of archaeological jewellery
Abstract: In 1957, the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan National Academy of Science Found of Jewellery Metals was established, where about 1500 goods created from the beginning of I millennium BC were collected. Founds collection mainly consist from the national women’s and men’s jewellery have madden from gold and silver, belong to private collection of famous figures of Azerbaijan, as well as various household objects (boxes, bottles, trays, etc.) madden of silver. More unique early examples are the archaeological jewels, which dated by II millennium BC.
Judging by the unique gold and silverware, found by archaeologists, in the IX century BC Azerbaijan has already reached the heights of the master jeweller’s art.
Ancient jewellers were already known methods of jewellery techniques – casting, granulation, notching and filigree. Archaic forms of national bracelets, earrings and rings resemble traditional Azeri women’s jewellery XIX-XX century, which suggests that the continuity and improvement of the jeweller’s art in Azerbaijan. Using the latest technological instruments and in particular a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF Omeqa 4000 (USA)), which refers to the next generation technology, allowed to determine quantity of metal in a few minutes without damaging of the metal. In this article the results of data analysis of archaeological metal goods of XX century BC were done, as well as performed their analogies with medieval jewellery that will assess the use of precious metals, particularly gold, silver and other metals in the study period
Keywords: XRF, Metal content, Archaeological samples.