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Non-destructive bulk analysis of the Buggenum sword by neutron resonance capture analysis and neutron diffraction

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Abstract

Two neutron based techniques, neutron resonance capture analysis (NRCA) and time-of-flight neutron-diffraction (TOF-ND) have been used to determine the elemental composition and structure of a precious and very well preserved all-metal sword from the Bronze Age. This Buggenum sword was on loan from the National Museum of Antiquities (NMA) in Leiden (NL). NRCA and TOF-ND experiments have been carried out at a number of more or less identical positions of the sword. The tin-bronze ratio and the relative amounts of some minor elements (Sb, As, Ag, In) have been determined. The results of neutron diffraction measurements showed considerable tin-segregation, and clear indications of hardening on the edges of the blade. In addition, radiographs using Bremsstrahlung revealed the construction of the hilt–blade connection. The work was carried out at the EC Joint Research Centre IRMM in Geel (B) and at the ISIS facility of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (UK).

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Acknowledgements

We like to thank J.C. Drohe, R. Wynants and J. Van Gils for their technical support during the measurements at the GELINA facility of IRMM, in Geel (B). We are very grateful for the loan of the Buggenum sword from the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden (NL) and we like to sincerely thank Steph Scholten (NMA) for his interest in this project. We thank E. Godfrey for valuable discussions on the interpretation of the diffraction analysis results. This study has been financial supported and carried out as part of the EU FP6 Ancient Charm project, funded by the European Commission under the contract no. 15311.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. RD&M, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 15, 2629 JB, Delft, The Netherlands

    Hans Postma & Martijn Clarijs

  2. National Museum of Antiquities, Papengracht 30, 2301 EC, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Luc Amkreutz

  3. EC-JRC, Institute of Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), Retieseweg 111, Geel, 2440, Belgium

    Alessandro Borella & Peter Schillebeeckx

  4. Faculty of Archaeology, University of Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Hans Kamermans

  5. ISIS Facility, Rutherford and Appleton Laboratory, Chilton Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK

    Winfried Kockelmann, Anna Paradowska & Dirk Visser

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  1. Hans Postma
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  2. Luc Amkreutz
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  8. Peter Schillebeeckx
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Correspondence to Hans Postma.

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Postma, H., Amkreutz, L., Borella, A. et al. Non-destructive bulk analysis of the Buggenum sword by neutron resonance capture analysis and neutron diffraction. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 283, 641–652 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-009-0405-z

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