FRAGMENTARY DISCOVERIES WITHOUT CONTEXT - WHAT CAN WE LEARN MORE? AN ARCHAEOMETRIC APPROACH ON A FORTUITOUS FIND FROM NORTH-EASTERN ROMANIA

Abstract

The ʽaccidentalʼ discovery of archaeological material represents an ordinary fact in today’s archaeology. Unfortunately, most of these discoveries have no archaeological context, thwarting the possibility of integrating the objects in more complex studies. In this context, based on the type of data that the archaeometric study of metal objects provides (information regarding prehistoric metallurgy, especially the used alloys and technologies), we propose for analysis two metal pieces (a socketed axe and a sickle) fortuitously found in Dobrovăt (Iași County), in order to see how much information can we gather for two fragmentary objects, without archaeological context. The methods used are optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX) and micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μFTIR) and our aim is represented by the obtainment of important information about patina and corrosion products, the metals used and how these objects were manufactured and utilised. As a result, the before mentioned methods illustrated a number of special features regarding the metallurgical practice of the Late Bronze Age in the Eastern Carpathian area, contributing to the expansion of the database in this chronological and geographical area.

Keywords

• om, sem-edx, ft-ir, late bronze age, ne romania