EDXRF study of Prehistoric artefacts from Quinta do Almaraz (Cacilhas, Portugal)

This paper presents a non-destructive analytical study by secondary target energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry of selected artefacts found during excavations carried out since 1988, at the archaeological site of 'Quinta do Almaraz', Estremadura, West Portugal. The analysed collection was composed by metallic artefacts (fibulae, fish-hooks, needles, buckle, tweezers, knives, arrowheads), crucibles, slags and metallurgical residues. The chemical composition of the metallic artefacts have made possible to identify different groups belonging to distinct Prehistoric periods, from the Bronze (bronzes) till the Iron (iron-based alloys) Age. Variation in the Sn and Pb percentages in the bronzes pointed out to the existence of three different metallurgical processes, although they did not present different typological characteristics. Semi-quantitative analysis on fragments of crucibles have permitted to identify particular metallurgical operations, namely the preparation of gold alloys and the remains of the silver cupellation process, which was introduced in the Iberian Peninsula by the Phoenician [Early Metal Mining and Production, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, 1995]