Bronze Age and Iron Age gold torcs and earrings from the Iberian Atlantic façade: a non‐invasive multi‐analytical approach to the characterisation of the alloys and the corrosion

Abstract

A group of Bronze Age and Iron Age gold torcs and earrings from the Iberian Atlantic façade, several with tarnishing, are studied with different X‐ray‐based techniques, including portable devices for in situ analysis. The construction of the complex objects is discussed, and information on the evolution of the alloys is provided. By comparing the elemental composition of the analysed objects with published data for Bronze Age and Iron Age jewellery from the Portuguese area and with data obtained and published for Chalcolithic objects from the Iberian area, the changes in gold supplies could be discussed, and this has led to suggest changes in the chronological attribution of three torcs, on the reuse without melting of one pair of earrings and on the origin of the so‐called gold ingots. The analysis of tarnished areas of the torcs and the earrings showed the presence of distinct corrosion products due to atmospheric corrosion, which could be in part identified. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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