Feasibility study for a neutron investigation in archaeological research on Tifernum Mataurense

Abstract

External milli-beam particle induced X-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE), Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis, Neutron Induced Prompt Gamma Spectrometry (NIPS) and high resolution Time-Of-Flight Neutron Diffraction (TOF-ND) have been considered as non-destructive techniques to plan the investigation of 6 metallic archaeological artefacts sporadically discovered over time at the Tifernum Mataurense area (S. Angelo in Vado, Marche Region, Italy). The primary goal of this feasibility study is to create indications to advance the correct technological and material description of the objects providing scientific data for further and more comprehensive comparative analyses also covering the find material from the close archaeological sites. PIXE would provide quantitative analyses of major and trace elements (e.g., Fe, Pb and As) in order to recognize the constitutive alloys and to supply information on the near-surface elemental composition complementary to the data characteristic for the bulk. The neutron investigations would allow determining the bulk composition, also providing either a qualitative and quantitative assessment of the phase composition and the structural properties of the constituents, or radiographic images, finally to identify possible manufacturing techniques. The expected results would allow also achieving important information on the possible provenance, being useful also to set up a classification according to the chemical composition.

Keywords

• Tifernum Mataurense
• Sant'Angelo in Vado
• Neutron Techniques
• PIXE
• PGAA
• NI PS