Spatial variability of elements in ancient Greek (ca. 600-250 BC) silvercoins using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry(SEM-EDS) and time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS)

Journal article


Marjo, Christopher E., Davis, Gillan, Gong, Bin and Gore, Damian B.. (2017). Spatial variability of elements in ancient Greek (ca. 600-250 BC) silvercoins using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry(SEM-EDS) and time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). Powder Diffraction. 32(S2), pp. S95-S100. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0885715617001002
AuthorsMarjo, Christopher E., Davis, Gillan, Gong, Bin and Gore, Damian B.
Abstract

Archaeometrists use a variety of analytical methods to determine trace elements in ancient Greek silver coins, for provenance studies, understanding social and technological change, and authentication. One analytical problem which is little documented is understanding the horizontal spatial heterogeneity of coin elemental composition in micro-sampled areas, which are usually assumed to be uniform. This study analysed ten ancient Greek coins representative of silver circulating in the Aegean region in the sixth to third centuries BC. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry was used to map the spatial distribution of elements on coins that were abraded to remove the patina. Time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry was then conducted on selected coins, mapping an area ~100 × 100 µm and depth profiling from 0 to 10 µm. These data revealed the three-dimensional elemental complexity of the coins, in particular, the heterogeneity both in the patina and beneath it. These data will guide future authentication and provenance studies of larger sample sets of ancient Greek coins including the use of line scanning for laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry data collection rather than spot analyses, and non-destructive analytical techniques such as X-ray fluorescence spectrometry.

Keywordsancient Greek; numismatics; patina; elemental maps
Year2017
JournalPowder Diffraction
Journal citation32 (S2), pp. S95-S100
PublisherCambridge University Press
ISSN1945-7413
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1017/S0885715617001002
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page rangeS95-S100
FunderAustralian Research Council (ARC)
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online30 Jan 2018
Publication process dates
Deposited08 Dec 2021
ARC Funded ResearchThis output has been funded, wholly or partially, under the Australian Research Council Act 2001
Grant IDARC/DP120103519
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8x2x8/spatial-variability-of-elements-in-ancient-greek-ca-600-250-bc-silvercoins-using-scanning-electron-microscopy-with-energy-dispersive-spectrometry-sem-eds-and-time-of-flight-secondary-ion-mass

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 56
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 2
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Making money out of making money in Ancient Athens
Davis, Gillan and Albarede, Francis. (2023). Making money out of making money in Ancient Athens. Archaeometry. pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1111/ARCM.12926
Isotope and trace element compositions of silver-bearing ores in the Balkans as possible metal sources in antiquity
Westner, Katrin Julia, Vaxevanopoulos, Markos, Blichert-Toft, Janne, Davis, Gillan and Albarède, Francis. (2023). Isotope and trace element compositions of silver-bearing ores in the Balkans as possible metal sources in antiquity. Journal of Archaeological Science. 155, p. Article 105791. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2023.105791
Analyses of queen Hetepheres' bracelets from her celebrated tomb in Giza reveals new information on silver, metallurgy and trade in Old Kingdom Egypt, c.2600 BC
Sowada, Karin, Newman, Richard, Albarède, Francis, Davis, Gillan, Derrick, Michele R., Murphy, Timothy D. and Gore, Damian B.. (2023). Analyses of queen Hetepheres' bracelets from her celebrated tomb in Giza reveals new information on silver, metallurgy and trade in Old Kingdom Egypt, c.2600 BC. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. 49, p. Article 103978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2023.103978
Scientific and Technical Applications
Blet-Lemarquand, Maryse and Davis, Gillan. (2022). Scientific and Technical Applications. In Survey of Numismatic Research 2014-2020 - Volume I & II pp. 41-54 International Numismatic Commission.
Narrowing provenance for ancient Greek silver coins using Ag isotopes and Sb contents of potential ores
Vaxevanopoulos, Markos, Davis, Gillan, Milot, Jean, Blichert-Toft, Janne, Malod-Dognin, Chloe and Albarède, Francis. (2022). Narrowing provenance for ancient Greek silver coins using Ag isotopes and Sb contents of potential ores. Journal of Archaeological Science. 145, p. Article 105645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2022.105645
New findings of ancient Greek silver sources
Vaxevanopoulos, Markos, Blichert-Toft, Janne, Davis, Gillan and Albarède, Francis. (2022). New findings of ancient Greek silver sources. Journal of Archaeological Science. 137, p. Article 105474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2021.105474
Introduction - Teaching with Numismatics and celebrating one of Australia’s leading numismatists, John Melville-Jones AM
Davis, Gillan and Brice, Lee L.. (2021). Introduction - Teaching with Numismatics and celebrating one of Australia’s leading numismatists, John Melville-Jones AM. Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia. 30, pp. 1-4.
The Jerubba'al Inscription from Khirbet al-Ra'i : A Proto-Canaanite (Early Alphabetic) inscription
Rollston, Christopher, Garfinkel, Yosef, Keimer, Kyle H., Davis, Gillan and Ganor, Saar. (2021). The Jerubba'al Inscription from Khirbet al-Ra'i : A Proto-Canaanite (Early Alphabetic) inscription. Jerusalem Journal of Archaeology. 2, pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.52486/01.00002.1
Metal provenance of Iron Age Hacksilber hoards in the southern Levant
Gentelli, Liesel, Blichert-Toft, Janne, Davis, Gillan, Gitler, Haim and Albarède, Francis. (2021). Metal provenance of Iron Age Hacksilber hoards in the southern Levant. Journal of Archaeological Science. 134, p. Article: 105472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2021.105472
From commodity to money : The rise of silver coinage around the Ancient Mediterranean (sixth–first centuries bce)
Albarède, F., Blichert-Toft, J., de Callataÿ, F., Davis, G., Debernardi, P., Gentelli, L., Gitler, H., Kemmers, F., Klein, S., Malod-Dognin, C,, Milot, J., Télouk, P., Vaxevanopoulos, M. and Westner, K.. (2021). From commodity to money : The rise of silver coinage around the Ancient Mediterranean (sixth–first centuries bce). Archaeometry. 63(1), pp. 142-155. https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12615
Elemental composition of gold and silver coins of Siphnos
Sheedy, Kenneth, Gore, Damian, Blet-Lemarquand, Maryse and Davis, Gillan. (2021). Elemental composition of gold and silver coins of Siphnos. In Metallurgy in Numismatics 6: Mines, Metals and Money:Ancient World Studies in Science, Archaeology and History pp. 149 The Royal Numismatic Society.
Introduction to Mines, Metals and Money : Ancient World Studies in Science, Archaeology and History
Sheedy, Kenneth A. and Davis, Gillan. (2020). Introduction to Mines, Metals and Money : Ancient World Studies in Science, Archaeology and History. In In Sheedy, Kenneth A. and Davis, Gillan (Ed.). Mines, metals and money : Ancient world studies in science, archaeology and history pp. 1-6 The Royal Numismatic Society.
Studies in Athenian silver coinage : Analysis of Archaic ‘owl’ tetradrachms
Davis, Gillan, Sheedy, Kenneth A. and Gore, Damian B.. (2020). Studies in Athenian silver coinage : Analysis of Archaic ‘owl’ tetradrachms. In In Sheedy, A. Kenneth and Davis, Gillan (Ed.). Metallurgy in numismatics 6 : Mines, metals and money : Ancient world studies in science, archaeology and history pp. 207-214 The Royal Numismatic Society.
Theminting/mining nexus: New understandings of Archaic Greek silver coinage fromlead isotope analysis
Davis, Gillan and Stos-Gale, Zofia Anna. (2020). Theminting/mining nexus: New understandings of Archaic Greek silver coinage fromlead isotope analysis. In In Davis, G. and Sheedy, Kenneth (Ed.). Metallurgy in Numismatics 6: Mines, Metals and Money:Ancient World Studies in Science, Archaeology and History pp. 87-100 The Royal Numismatic Society.
Separating silver sources of Archaic Athenian coinage by comprehensive compositional analyses
Davis, Gillan, Gore, Damian B., Sheedy, Kenneth A. and Albarède, Francis. (2020). Separating silver sources of Archaic Athenian coinage by comprehensive compositional analyses. Journal of Archaeological Science. 114, p. Article 105068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2019.105068
A miner's perspective on Pb isotope provenances in the Western and Central Mediterranean
Albarede, Francis, Blichert-Toft, Janne, Gentelli, Liesel, Milot, Jean, Vaxevanopoulos, Markos, Klein, Sabine, Westner, Katrin, Birch, Thomas, Davis, Gil and de Callataÿ, François. (2020). A miner's perspective on Pb isotope provenances in the Western and Central Mediterranean. Journal of Archaeological Science. 121, p. 105194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2020.105194
Miltiades II and his alleged mint in the Chersonesos
Davis, Gillan and Sheedy, Kenneth. (2019). Miltiades II and his alleged mint in the Chersonesos. Historia: Zeitschrift fuer Alte Geschichte. 68(1), pp. 11-25. https://doi.org/10.25162/historia-2019-0001
General introduction : Communicating in the past connecting with the past
Davis, Gillan and Keimer, Kyle H.. (2018). General introduction : Communicating in the past connecting with the past. In In Davis, G. and Keimer, Kyle H. (Ed.). Registers and modes of communication in the Ancient Near East : Getting the message across pp. 1-19 Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315206448-1
Suitability of transportable EDXRF for the on-site assessment of ancient silver coins and other silver artifacts
Gore, Damian B. and Davis, Gillan. (2016). Suitability of transportable EDXRF for the on-site assessment of ancient silver coins and other silver artifacts. Applied Spectroscopy Reviews. 70(5), pp. 840-851. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003702816638283