Composition and thickness of gold and silver nose decorations from the tomb of the Lady of Cao determined by combining EDXRF-analysis and X-ray transmission measurements

• Autores: Cesáreo, R., Gigante, G., Fabián, J., Zambrano, S., Franco, R., Fernández, A., Bustamente, A.
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2014
• Institución: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
• Repositorio: Revistas - Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:ojs.csi.unmsm:article/8648
• Enlace del recurso: https://revistasinvestigacion.unmsm.edu.pe/index.php/fisica/article/view/8648
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence; Au-Ag-Cu alloy; Moche prehispanic culture.; Fluorescencia de energía dispersiva de rayos X; aleacionesde Au-Ag-Cu; cultura pre hispánica Moche.

Thirty four nose decorations from the tomb of the Lady of Cao has been analyzed by EDXRF-analysis and transmission measurements. These nose decorations are made partially on gold, and partially on silver. EDXRF-analysis showed that, while gold areas all show a similar composition, silver areas exhibit an erratic composition, and also an unusual high percentage of gold, up to 35 %. To verify that this erratic composition is not depending on surface enrichment processes, X-ray transmission measurements were carried out, which gives the bulk composition of the samples. These last measurements completely confirm EDXRF-results. Therefore the conclusion could be that a high quantity of gold was added intentionally to the silver alloys, for not clear reasons, may be to avoid the oxidation process typical of high concentration silver in silver alloys.