XRF Analysis of Roman and Bronze Age Artifacts
In the set or artifacts below, the spear head labelled “1” is believed to be from the Bronze Age, c. 1000 B.C. In contrast, the spear head marked “2” and Bird Vessel handle “3” are believed to be from the Roman period (50-150 A.D.). The increase in lead from trace amounts in the Bronze Age artifact to the high levels (20-30 wt%) in the Roman pieces is expected based on what is known about the evolution of bronze metallurgy in ancient times.
