Gold leaf tesserae. Tracing the origins of gold using synchrotron-based techniques

Maria Guerra (1) , Elisabetta Neri (2) , Martin Radtke (3)

1 MONARIS - De la Molécule aux Nanos-objets : Réactivité, Interactions et Spectroscopies
2 Université de Liège
3 BAM Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung u. -prüfung

To gain insight into the possible origin of the gold used in the production of tesserae containing gold leaf less than 0.5 µm thick placed between two layers of glass, we propose a non-destructive synchrotron radiation (SR) XRF protocol based on sequential analysis under optimised analytical conditions. Using this protocol, trace element analysis is achieved with detection limits of 1–6 mg/kg. As Pt and Au have adjacent fluorescence energies, we tested the most challenging situation, when Pt is present in very low concentrations in gold. Data obtained by double-dispersive XRF (D2XRF) and µXRF for fourth–ninth-century mosaics decorating nine Eastern and Western religious buildings show that the Eastern and Western tesserae are made from different alloys. However, these alloys are identical to those used to make gold leaf for gilding, because plastic deformation requires the use of gold alloys with high ductility and malleability. Although trace element composition of gold used in the concerned period is only available for coins, by comparing the amounts of Pt contained in the tesserae and in the coins we show that Roman tesserae are made from Roman gold, as described in the documentary sources. We observe for the Byzantine period the use of a Byzantine gold and of gold supposedly from different stages of recycling, and we suggest the use of Umayyad and Abbasid gold for the production of Islamic tesserae

Domaines: Chimie analytique; Matériaux; Archéologie et Préhistoire

Maria Guerra, Elisabetta Neri, Martin Radtke. Gold leaf tesserae. Tracing the origins of gold using synchrotron-based techniques. The European Physical Journal Plus, 2023, 138 (2), pp.127. ⟨10.1140/epjp/s13360-022-03638-y⟩. ⟨hal-03945071⟩