Chemical Composition: XRF data from Artax 1
Alloy: Bronze
Alloying Elements: copper, tin
Other Elements: lead, iron, antimony, arsenic
K. Eremin, January 2014
XRF data from Tracer
Alloy: Bronze
Alloying Elements: copper, tin
Other Elements: lead, iron, antimony
K. Eremin, January 2014
Technical Observations: The patinas of these pins (162.1972, 163.1972, 165.1972, 166.1972, and 2004.197) are green or dark green with areas of red. Some burial accretions are present, as are striations and some abrasion marks from cleaning.
Although there is no evidence of mold marks, it is likely that the wax models for these pins were made using a mold to create the spherical finials and the shaft of the pin. The finer incised lines appear soft in shape and were made working directly in the wax models. The ring loop on 163.1972 appears as a soft-shaped circle, probably formed by hand and attached to the wax model. Although the tapered length of the shafts could have been entirely cast in the bronze, it is possible that the taper was refined by hammering in the metal casts.
Henry Lie (submitted 2011)
