Chemical Composition: ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Bronze:
Cu, 92.28; Sn, 7.54; Pb, 0.1; Zn, 0.002; Fe, less than 0.01; Ni, 0.03; Ag, 0.05; Sb, less than 0.05; As, less than 0.10; Bi, less than 0.025; Co, less than 0.01; Au, less than 0.01; Cd, less than 0.001
J. Riederer
Technical Observations: The patina is green, and there are green nodules and exposed spots of underlying red. Some soil accretions are also present. The rough nodules of raised green corrosion are an indication that the surface has not been cleaned since it was excavated. The object is stable. The tang is out of line with the point of the arrowhead and may have been bent slightly prior to burial.
A slight ridge along the trailing edge of the blade near the tang may be from a dislocation in a mold used to form a wax model, although the shape is simple and may also have been made directly in the wax model. The square tang joins the blade, and the blade becomes thicker in line with the tang. The tang may have been split at one end and then added to the back edge of the blade, which added to the thickness on both sides. This would strengthen both the wax model and the resulting bronze casting. The front edge of the blade is thinner than the back edge and was probably sharpened abrasively, although the rough surface hides any evidence of such work.
Henry Lie (submitted 2012)
