György Szakmány

Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis, a new method in the archaeological study of polished stone tools and their raw materials

Metabasic rocks, particularly greenschists, were very popular raw materials for making polished stone tools by prehistoric man in the Carpathian Basin. The major and trace element compositions of these objects are very helpful in determining the place of origin of the rocks. On the other hand, destruction of the complete object is usually not allowed during the analysis. In this paper we show an application of Prompt Gamma Activation Analyses (PGAA), a relatively new, non-destructive method for investigation of Neolithic stone tools. Twenty-four samples (in the form of greenschist and blueschist polished stone tools from Hungarian Neolithic collections and also greenschists and blueschist from outcrops) were investigated. The aim of this work was to establish a method for distinguishing the different types of greenschists occurring in the Carpathian Basin. PGAA gives reliable data for major and some trace elements of geochemical interest. According to our results, it is possible to distinguish blueschist from macroscopically similar greenschist polished stone tools by PGAA. Three macroscopically different types of greenschist samples form only two groups according to chemical composition, which implies only two different sources of greenschist raw material. We were able to identify one of them as rock from the outcrop of Felsocsatar (Penninic Unit of the Alps in western Hungary). The second source is not yet determined; it requires the study of samples from more outcrops. The investigation of ancient stone tools is only one example of the applicability of PGAA. The advantages of this method can also be exploited in other geochemical research areas.

Discrimination of prehistoric polished stone tools from Hungary with non-destructive chemical Prompt Gamma Activation Analyses (PGAA)

The determination of the geological provenance of the different rocks employed for the manufacture of prehistoric stone tools is useful from both historical and archaeological points of views, to indicate precise directions of cultural interactions. Prehistoric polished stone tools with fine to very fine grained texture may show striking similarities in their macroscopic appearance by texture and colour. Therefore, it is very difficult to distinguish the different rock types by naked eye. Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA) is one of the powerful, absolutely non-destructive bulk chemical methods for the analysis of archaeological materials. As regards polished stone tools, PGAA measures all major elements and few trace elements. We analyzed 189 polished stone tools from different collections and localities of Hungary, and 42 geological samples from potential raw material sources. To control the method, several broken pieces were studied also by destructive methods, mainly thin-section petrography. Our results are: 1. we obtained chemical composition of the analyzed artefacts, 2. we created an initial database of PGAA results of the most important raw materials of polished stone tools occurring in Hungary, 3. we explored the potentials and limitations of PGAA in the determination of the raw materials used for the polished stone tools. As a result, several different raw material groups (basalt-dolerite-metadolerite, greenschist-contact metabasite-amphibolite, blueschist, hornfels, “white stone”, ultramafic rocks and intermediate volcanic rocks) could be distinguished. Moreover, different rock types were recognized within each group ( e.g ., greenschist-contact metabasite and basalt-dolerite). Macroscopic description combined with PGAA will help to determine raw material types of polished stone tools. However, in some cases other methods are also necessary to achieve precise determination.

Medieval Gilding Technology of Historical Metal Threads Revealed by Electron Optical and Micro-Raman Spectroscopic Study of Focused Ion Beam-Milled Cross Sections

Although gilt silver threads were widely used for decorating historical textiles, their manufacturing techniques have been elusive for centuries. Contemporary written sources give only limited, sometimes ambiguous information, and detailed cross-sectional study of the microscale soft noble metal objects has been hindered by sample preparation. In this work, to give a thorough characterization of historical gilt silver threads, nano- and microscale textural, chemical, and structural data on cross sections, prepared by focused ion beam milling, were collected, using various electron-optical methods (high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wavelength-dispersive electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) combined with energy-dispersive electron probe microanalysis (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with EDX, and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The thickness of the gold coating varied between 70-400 nm. Data reveal nano- and microscale metallurgy-related, gilding-related and corrosion-related inhomogeneities in the silver base. These inhomogeneities account for the limitations of surface analysis when tracking gilding methods of historical metal threads, and explain why chemical information has to be connected to 3D texture on submicrometre scale. The geometry and chemical composition (lack of mercury, copper) of the gold/silver interface prove that the ancient gilding technology was diffusion bonding. The observed differences in the copper content of the silver base of the different thread types suggest intentional technological choice. Among the examined textiles of different ages (13th-17th centuries) and provenances narrow technological variation has been found.

Contribution to the cognizance of raw materials and raw material regions of the Transcarpathian Palaeolithic

On the territory Transcarpathian Ukraine, about 100 Palaeolithic localities are known up to our days. Most of them are surface finds. In spite of the rich archaeological heritage, the elaboration of the material, especially its petroarchaeological evaluation supported by professional scientific analytical methods, is in the initial phase as yet. The aim of the present study is to supply information on the lithic raw materials of the Palaeolithic settlements in Transcarpathian Ukraine, the detailed survey and description of the primary raw materials, their identification, description and terminology, as well as the outlining of the local raw material provinces and study of the distribution of the raw materials on archaeological sites. In the archaeological literature of Transcarpathian Ukraine, lithic raw materials are still described under incorrect petrographical terms. For example, for the raw material of Korolevo Palaeolithic site is, correctly speaking, hyaline dacite, and the “flints” of Beregovo reg...

The provenance of “red marble” monuments from the 12th-18th centuries in Hungary

“Red marble” (Liassic-Dogger nodular limestone, ammonitico rosso ) which was mined as a decorative stone, played an important role in the art of Central Europe and especially in Hungary in the past centuries. Quarries are known from the Gerecse-Mts. (Hungary), Adnet, (Austria), Menyhaza (Romania) and Verona (Italy). Determination of the provenance of the “red marble” monuments is not feasible on the basis of petrographical methods only, because the two most typical and important Central European “red marble” occurrences (the Gerecse-Mountains, Hungary and Adnet, Austria) have the same geological age and had formed in similar environments. It is possible, on the basis of stable isotope analysis, to separate the raw material from the Hungarian and Austrian quarries; it enabled us to conduct provenance studies of archaeological objects from Hungary, Upper Hungary (present Slovakia) and Transylvania (present Romania). The results are in accordance with several historical theories, but also provide additional information on the distribution of this important artistic material.

Archaeometric Processing of Polished Stone Artefacts from the Ebenhöch Collection (Hungarian National Museum, Budapest, Hungary)

The petrological processing of archaeological polished stone artefacts from the Carpathian Basin has started to develop only in the last decades. This work benefited much from the systematic elaboration of historical collections from the nineteenth century. One of the most significant collections of this type was donated to the Hungarian National Museum by Ferencz Ebenhoch, abbot-prebend in Győr. The collection is extremely rich in polished stone artefacts, and unique not only because of its quantity (nearly 700 pieces), but also due to the beauty of the tools. To date, only a preliminary macroscopic petrographic identification had been carried out on the items. The aim of the present investigations was to identify and describe the raw material of the artefacts, and, if possible, determine their provenance.

High pressure metaophiolite polished stone implements found in Hungary

Good quality high pressure (HP) metaophiolite rock types (e.g. Na-pyroxenite/jade, eclogite) suitable for making prehistoric polished stone implements were unknown among Hungarian findings for a long time. Nowadays they are still among the rarest types of polished stone implements found in Hungary in the respect of raw material. After the first discovery of Neolithic stone tools made of HP metaophiolites in the records of Hungarian archaeological assemblages, detailed petrological investigations of large stone implement collections revealed their presence in a relatively large number. According to our current knowledge, 25 HP metaophiolite stone implements are known as found in Hungary. Unfortunately, most of them are stray finds, but 11 pieces from four localities have a known archaeological context. They were mainly located in Transdanubia (except for one piece from Tiszántúl) and are mostly attributable to the Late Neolithic Lengyel Culture and secondarily to the Late Neolithic Tisza Culture. In this study, we used only non-destructive analytical methods (macroscopic observation, magnetic susceptibility measurements, non-destructive SEM-EDX, and Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis). As a result of this study, the prehistoric stone implements were classified into raw material types. Based on our data, the high pressure-low temperature (HP-LT) metaophiolite stone implements found in Hungary probably originated from the same raw material sources as the Italian HP-LT metaophiolite stone tools (sourcing from North-western Italy). According to the literature on the topic, both primary (Western Alps in the vicinity of the Monviso in Piedmont or the Voltri Massif in Liguria) and secondary occurrences (in Quaternary deposits of the rivers Po, Staffora and Curone) are potential sources. These analyses confirmed the existence of long-distance trade routes connecting the Po Valley and its vicinity with the Carpathian Basin during the Vth Millennium BC.

Petrographic and Geochemical Investigation of Sarmatian Grinding Stones from the Üllő 5 Site, North Hungary

The present study reports some preliminary results of petrographic and geochemical analyses carried out on Sarmatian age grinding stones from the archaeological site Ullő 5 (Pest County, Hungary). The purpose of the study was to define the provenance of raw materials through a petrographic and geochemical description of the finds.