Valuable Gold Ornament Found in Early Bronze Age Burial, Germany
Gold Alloy Forensics Leads to Source in Cornwall, England One of the most interesting aspects of this discovery is the nature of the gold used to make the jewelry piece. Chemical analysis revealed that the gold was a naturally occurring alloy. Its chemical composition included 20 percent silver, between one and two percent copper, and smaller quantities of platinum and tin. Gold alloys that have been mined but not processed have unique chemical “fingerprints,” which often allows researchers to trace their origins to specific geographical areas. When the archaeologists traced this parti...
Source: ancient-origins.net