Archaeometric Investigation of a Hunnic-Period Sacrificial Assemblage from Nyergesújfalu, Hungary

Abstract

Near Nyergesújfalu (Komárom-Esztergom County, Hungary), objects of a Hunnic-period sacrificial assemblage were found in 2021. The Hunnic period assemblage contains fifteen items altogether: four gold lunular mounts, six cellwork-decorated gold oval mounts, two cellwork-decorated gold suspension rings, two gold buckles and fragments of a scale-patterned gilded silver plate. The present study aims to determine the elemental composition of the metal alloy of the Hunnic-period objects and characterise the decoration techniques (gilding and garnet inlays) by using optical microscopy, handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (hXRF) and scanning electron microscopy with energydispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX). The gold objects, including their small parts such as the rivets of buckles and lunular mounts, sockets and filigree, were manufactured from a relatively goodquality gold alloy (>80 wt% Au). The fragments of the scale-patterned silver plate were manufactured from a high-quality silver alloy (>94 wt% Ag), similar to late Roman silver alloys characterised by high Ag content, and was decorated with fire (mercury) gilding. The garnets used for inlays are almandine and intermediate pyrope-almandine garnets. Based on their chemistry, the garnets belong to Group X and probably originate from the placer deposits of Sri Lanka.