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Corrosion of Archaeological Artefacts from the Olviya Site in Ukraine

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Larisa V. Demchenko
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Geochemistry NAS, Kiev, 03142, Ukraine.
Borys P. Zlobenko
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Geochemistry NAS, Kiev, 03142, Ukraine.
Vyacheslav I. Manichev
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Geochemistry NAS, Kiev, 03142, Ukraine.
Vadim V. Kadoshnikov
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Geochemistry NAS, Kiev, 03142, Ukraine.
Ludmila V. Spasova
Affiliation:
Institute of Environmental Geochemistry NAS, Kiev, 03142, Ukraine.
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Abstract

Copper and bronze artefacts of Olviya archaeological collection dated the first century B.C. were the objects of this study. Susceptibility to soil corrosion of archaeological artefacts from pure copper and bronze was investigated. Detailed mineralogical and metallographic investigations were performed on specially prepared samples of metallic copper, such as cut and polished sections of a cylindrical body, etc. They reveal a complex picture of metal structure and mineralogical features that can be attributed to both original technological process of manufacturing and to alteration during the burial and weathering history. Corrosion products were researched and the thickness of the corrosion layer formed for the long period of time was determined. It is shown, that the corrosion rate of artefacts produced by casting depends on composition alloys and change of metal structure after the next mechanical-thermal processing. The soil corrosion rate of copper alloys also depends on the redox conditions in the soil of Olviya site.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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References

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