Analyzing Lead Content in Ancient Bronze Coins by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy An Archaeometry Laboratory with Nonscience Majors

摘要

This article describes a laboratory experiment used in anIntroduction to Archaeology course to teach students aboutarchaeometry—the measurement of chemical and physical prop-erties of samples of archaeological materials—and numismatics,the study of and collecting of coins. The students determined thelead content of ancient bronze coins by flame atomic absorp-tion spectroscopy (FAAS) and then compared their lead datato literature values for lead in visually identified coins (1) toapproximate the mint date and mint location. (See Figure 1.)This type of data matching by metal content in coins is possiblebecause ancient mints each had unique procedures for makingbronze and regional ore sources, thus leading to predictable dif-ferences in the major and minor metals in coins.