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Synchrotron applications in archaeometallurgy: Analysis of high zinc brass astrolabes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2012

Brian Newbury ,
Bruce Stephenson ,
Jon Almer ,
Michael Notis ,
G. S. Cargill III ,
G. Brian Stephenson  and
Dean Haeffner
Brian Newbury*
Affiliation:
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015-3115
Bruce Stephenson
Affiliation:
Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago, Illinois 60605-2403
Jon Almer
Affiliation:
Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439-4844
Michael Notis
Affiliation:
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015-3115
G. S. Cargill III
Affiliation:
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015-3115
G. Brian Stephenson
Affiliation:
Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439-4844
Dean Haeffner
Affiliation:
Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439-4844
*
a)Electronic mail: bdn2@lehigh.edu
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Abstract

Synchrotron X rays were used to perform nondestructive transmission diffraction and fluorescence experiments on a group of 24 European and Islamic astrolabes dated between 1350–1720 A.D. in order to determine their compositions. A group of six astrolabes produced in Lahore between 1601–1662 A.D. were found to contain a mixed α+β brass microstructure, proving that the brass was produced by a comelting technique rather than the traditional cementation process. The results also show evidence of dezincification, attributed to heavy annealing of the brass during astrolabe manufacture. This effect was so severe that an accurate analysis of the bulk Zn composition could not be determined from the fluorescence results alone; transmission X-ray diffraction gives a more accurate measurement of the bulk Zn composition.

Type
Technical Articles
Information
Powder Diffraction , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , March 2004 , pp. 12 - 15
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

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