What is it about?
The understanding of the pre-Columbian gold metallurgy remains currently unclear, especially, silvering and gilding methods. Electron Microscopy can provide useful information to investigate the techniques used to modify the chemical surface composition of pre-Columbian artefacts. We have used Electron Microscopy techniques (TEM and SEM) to investigated the techniques used to gild two objects of the Atacames culture (AD750-1526) finded in the Esmeraldas region, Ecuador
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Why is it important?
Our finding can provide usefurl information about the pre-Columbnian metallurgy, especially the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Analyses by TEM are minimally destructive, give interesting data and therefore are highly suitable for archaeological studies.
Perspectives
An interdisciplinary team, mineralogists, crystallographs and chemists, worked in this study getting good results, This has been a great experience and offers the possibility to collaborate in the future.
ELENA VINDEL
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Contribution of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) to Understanding Pre-Columbian Goldwork Technology, Archaeometry, April 2017, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/arcm.12309.
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