NON‐DESTRUCTIVE INVESTIGATION OF BRONZE ARTEFACTS FROM THE MARCHES NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY USING NEUTRON DIFFRACTION*

Non‐destructive neutron diffraction techniques were applied to determine composition and microstructure data, and hence to derive information on manufacturing techniques of Picenum bronze artefacts. Furthermore, texture analyses were carried out on standards and suitable ancient artefacts to investigate their potential role in archaeometallurgical studies. This is a first step towards an overall characterization of the bronze collection of the Marches National Museum of Archaeology, Italy, and the analytical demonstration of relations with and differences compared to Etruscan metallurgy. The work is also an example application of the powerful non‐destructive archaeometrical approaches provided by time‐of‐flight neutron diffraction.     

NEOLITHIC ‘GREENSTONE’ AXE BLADES FROM NORTHWESTERN ITALY ACROSS EUROPE: A FIRST PETROGRAPHIC COMPARISON*

Neolithic polished stone axe blades, manufactured with uncommon lithologies such as Alpine eclogites, jades and other HP metaophiolites, were exploited from primary and secondary occurrences in Piemonte and Liguria and dominate the north Italian and south‐east French polished stone blades used as functional tools (for deforestation and woodworking). In other European countries the same lithologies are found less frequently or only occasionally as axe blades; in north‐west Europe they were frequently used for manufacturing ceremonial axes that have shapes that are not present in the Italian Neolithic tradition. This paper undertakes a preliminary examination of the case, prevalently from a petrographic point of view, comparing the well‐established Italian petroarchaeometric knowledge with the rather poorer petrographic basis of the European eclogite/jade axes. A provisional picture of the distribution of these axes in Europe is provided and some interim interpretations and open problems are discussed.     

The Use of Optical Coherence Tomography for Monitoring the Subsurface Morphologies of Archaic Jades

We demonstrate the use of the Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technique for non‐invasive scanning of the subsurface morphologies of jade objects. The two‐dimensional tomography images show the refractive index or dielectric constant variations in the samples, reflecting their structures. Three samples of archaic jade objects from the Qijia and Liangzhu cultures in China are scanned in order to understand the subsurface morphologies of the naturally whitened jades. Also, two jade objects with artificial treatments (burning) are scanned and compared with the original materials in subsurface structures. In the original objects, the jade materials can generally be quite transparent, such that the backscattering intensity is weak, although the large‐scale (tens of microns or larger) subsurface morphology can be clearly observed. After burning, small‐scale (smaller than a few microns) structures are formed and the backscattering intensity is enhanced. In this situation, the large‐scale structures may be preserved or even newly generated. On the other hand, in an archaic object with natural whitening, small‐scale structures are also formed. Hence, the deeper distributions of significant backscattering intensity are observed, when compared with the unwhitened objects. Nevertheless, the large‐scale features diminish during the whitening process. With OCT scanning, such differences in subsurface morphology can provide us a valuable reference for authenticating archaic jade objects.     

CHARACTERIZATION OF PLASTERS AND MORTARS AS A TOOL IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES: THE CASE OF LARDIRAGO CASTLE IN PAVIA,NORTHERN ITALY*

Plasters and mortars from Lardirago Castle (Pavia, northern Italy) have been characterized by means of petrographical and chemical analyses in order to achieve technical and historical evidence of material production. The study focused on the oldest nucleus of the structure, where hidden plastered masonry has been discovered recently. Textural and compositional data of the binder and the aggregate fractions were collected by means of optical microscopy and electron microscopy coupled with microanalysis. These data permit the identification of building materials with similar technical and compositional characteristics, which can be related to different building phases.     

PROGRESS REVIEW OF THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF CHINESE ANCIENT JADE

The interdisciplinary study of cultural heritage has become a scholarly hotspot in archaeology. Ancient jade serves as an important symbol of Chinese traditional culture, so the study of it is a critical part of this trend. The past 30 years have witnessed great progress in research on ancient jade, with the involvement of basic theory and the technological application of many science subjects. This paper summarizes the research status, methodology and prospects in the research on raw material (jade texture), provenance and secondary change of Chinese ancient jade, in the hope of benefiting future studies of ancient jade.