0000000000067933
AUTHOR
Caterina De Vito
Solid-state electrochemical characterization of emissions and authorities producing Roman brass coins
[EN] The voltammetry of immobilized particles (VIMP) is applied to describe the solid state electrochemistry of brass. This methodology, which involves sampling at the nanogram level, is applied to discriminate mints/authorities producing different Roman monetary emissions covering since the Republic (88 BCE) to Domitianus (55-96 CE) Upon attachment to graphite electrodes in contact with aqueous acetate buffer at pH 4.75, well defined voltarnmetric responses were obtained centered on Cu- and Zn-localized signals whose intensity can be correlated to EMP data, being sensitive to the contents of Zn (15-30 wt.%) and Sn (0.01-1.1 wt.%). Voltammetric data, combined with ATR-FTIR and FIB-PESEM/EDS…
Discrimination and provenances of Phoenician red slip ware using both the solid state electrochemistry and petrographic analyses
[EN] Solid state electrochemistry based on the voltammetry of immobilized microparticles (VIMP) methodology is applied to a series of 80 Phoenician Red Slip samples from the archaeological sites of Motya (Sicily, Italy), Mogador (Morocco), Ramat-Rahel (Israel), Sulky (Sardinia, Italy), Tas Silg (Malta), Pantelleria (Italy), and Cadiz (Spain), dated from the 8(th) to the 6(th) century BC. Upon attachment of sub-microsamples to graphite electrodes in contact with aqueous H2SO4 electrolyte, voltammetric features due to the reduction of Fe(III) minerals and the oxidation of Fe(II) ones, complemented with electrocatalytic effects on oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions, provide charac…
Dating archaeological strata in the Magna Mater temple using solid-state voltammetric analysis of leaded bronze coins
[EN] The application of solid state electrochemistry techniques for dating archaeological strata using lead-containing bronze coins is described. The proposed methodology was applied to samples coming from the Roman archaeological site of Magna Mater Temple (Rome, Italy) occurring in different strata dating back between the second half and the end of the 4(th) century A.D. and the 20(th) century. The voltammetric signatures of copper and lead corrosion products in contact with aqueous acetate buffer, as well as the catalytic effects produced on the hydrogen evolution reaction, were used for establishing the age of different strata and dating coins belonging to unknown age. Voltammetric data…
Electrochemical discrimination of manufacturing types of pottery from Magna Mater Temple and Fora of Nerva and Caesar (Rome, Italy)
Abstract The voltammetry of immobilized microparticles (VIMP) methodology is applied to a series of pottery samples from the Roman sites of Nerva's Forum (second half of 9th-early 11th A.D), Caesar's Forum (second half of 9th-early 11th A.D) and Magna Mater Temple (III century). The VIMP sampling applied to voltammetric and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements was applied by the first time to acquire archaeometric information on archaeological pottery. VIMP measurements using pressed sample pellets on gold electrodes in contact with air-saturated 0.10 M H2SO4 have permitted to detect voltammetric signals for the reduction/oxidation of Fe and Mn minerals as well as catal…
FIB-FESEM and EMPA results on Antoninianus silver coins for manufacturing and corrosion processes
[EN] A set of ancient Antoninianus silver coins, dating back between 249 and 274¿A.D. and minted in Rome, Galliae, Orient and Ticinum, have been characterized. We use, for the first time, a combination of nano-invasive (focused ion beam-field emission scanning electron microscopy-X-ray microanalysis (FIB-FESEM-EDX), voltammetry of microparticles (VIMP)) and destructive techniques (scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX) and electron microprobe analysis (EMPA)) along with non-invasive, i.e., micro-Raman spectroscopy. The results revealed that, contrary to the extended belief, a complex Ag-Cu-Pb-Sn alloy was used. The use of alloys was common in the flourishing years of the Roman Empire. In th…
Archaeometric analysis of Roman bronze coins from the Magna Mater temple using solid-state voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy
Voltammetry of microparticles (VMP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques, complemented by SEM-EDX and Raman spectroscopy, were applied to a set of 15 Roman bronze coins and one Tessera from the temple of Magna Mater (Rome, Italy). The archaeological site, dated back between the second half and the end of the 4th century A.D., presented a complicated stratigraphic context. Characteristic voltammetric patterns for cuprite and tenorite for sub-microsamples of the corrosion layers of the coins deposited onto graphite electrodes in contact with 0.10 M HClO4 aqueous solution yielded a grouping of the coins into three main groups. This grouping was confirmed and refined usin…