From Damascus to Denia: scientific analysis of three groups of Fatimid period metalwork
Abstract
A selection of 153 Fatimid period (11th–early 12th century AD) copper-alloy objects from three of the four major archaeological assemblages were analysed by ICPAES. Five alloy types were identified and these are found to correspond well with the alloys mentioned in the contemporary literature. One group, made of high-tin bronze, was subjected to metallographic examination. Objects from all three sites have identical chemistry, although four compositional groups were identified on the basis of trace elements. However, these do not correspond to the geographical find spots, but to stylistic criteria. Lead isotope studies were used in conjunction with trace elements to clarify the likely origins of some of the objects. The results allow discussion of the production and distribution of copper-alloy metalwork within the medieval Islamic world.
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