Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and the Study of Metallic Artifacts from the South of Western Siberia and Central Asia

Abstract

The article presents a characterization of the results obtained from the application of energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) in studying the composition of metal alloy artifacts from the developed Bronze Age to the Early times in the southern regions of Western Siberia (Russia, Siberian Federal District) and Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan). The earliest analyzed samples date back to the Seima-Turbino and Andronovo periods, while the latest studied artifacts belong to the 18th and early 19th centuries. The composition of alloys in objects made of non-ferrous metals (copper, lead, tin) and precious metals (silver, gold) ranges from homogeneous materials to complex alloys. For the earliest artifacts, such features may reflect both regional and chronological characteristics of metallurgical development (such as the duration of use of native raw materials) as well as the direction and nature of external connections related to the import of raw materials and finished products. From a functional perspective, the study includes a wide variety of items. Among them are casting equipment (metal molds), production tools (axes, hammers), belt set, metal embroidery, ritual attributes (mirrors, masks, figurines, staurography), and numismatics. This broad range of artifacts reflects a series of historical and cultural processes in the material culture of Southern Siberia and adjacent areas.

Keywords

• archaeology
• south of western siberia
• central asia
• energy-dispersive spectroscopy (eds)
• metal objects
• bronze age
• early iron age
• middle ages
• modern era