Matasha Mazis @mattyhari@qoto.org

@skanman pXRF has become almost standard issue in archaeology these days, sometimes they're even calibrated for ancient alloys. But it's a worry when people use it on corroded metal without understanding that it has technical limitations, e.g. sample heterogeneity can significantly affect quantification (and old stuff tends to have extremely heterogeneous surfaces). This is why analysts may prepare samples by grinding off the corrosion crust in a small area. Even then not foolproof bc you can get quite variable segregation of corrosion product in sub-surface layers of corroded metal. I don't want to ramble on too much about this but N. Shugar wrote an excellent article in 2013 "Portable X-ray Fluorescence and Archaeology: Limitations of the Instrument and Suggested Methods to Achieve Desired Results", if you are keen to explore further.

@skanman yes you're right. It's impt to think about the human consciousness behind every artefact.
Good luck with your travels and biz in Asia, but I really hope you do get a chance to visit the La Téne type site, I am certain you would enjoy it.

@NikaShilobod will do!

@NikaShilobod Thanks Nika, this is really useful.

@skanman edit: metallographic.

@skanman I enjoyed that!! :-) Trying to remember the details (it’s been a while and the La Tène iron is not my main area of research) there were literally hundreds of metal objects in the lakes. Swords, brooches, pins, chariot parts etc. Not all iron but mostly. But there’s no evidence these deposits were part of a specific burial custom, although some human and animal bones, as well as wood, woven material, (goes to show just how anoxic the deposit was!), pottery and glass were also found. I have read that the Celts saw water as the gateway to this world and the next and that these are offerings to their gods, along with human and animal sacrifice. Highly recommend if you’re ever in Neuchâtel in Switzerland you visit the wonderful Laténium Park and Museum. The museum in Biel that houses the Schwab collection (the sword in my photo is from there) is also good. And you can visit the submerged pile dwellings nearby. As to metallurgical analyses, rare to see them done on highly desirable museum objects. Even surface XRF requires abrasive prep. The only metalligraphic analysis I know of is that of Mihok and Kotyogoroshko in 2009, who destructively analysed several La Tène objects from the Malaya Kopan complex in Ukraine. They found a mixed bag of low-carbon heterogeneous steel but also edged weapons that had had their edges, or in one case one side, carburised. All were plain carbon steels. :-)

@PiedraFiera My pleasure!

@PiedraFiera Maybe about 1 kilo to 1.25 kilos (sorry I don't have the exact info with me). It was probably never used, and was deposited in the lake as a ritual object.

@skanman From memory, the water conditions were relatively anoxic. This would have helped the preservation condition enormously.

@skanman I think it may have been a ritual object, some sort of offering perhaps. Many of these swords were found in the lake beds in Switzerland, and they were not used. About 2400 years old or so.

Hey Tooters (is that right?). My first post and I thought I'd show off this lovely iron La Tene sword I was lucky enough to examine