Bronze Age gold in Southern Georgia

Abstract

This study represents a joint pilot project between archaeological and natural sciences, aimed at exploring the technology and provenance of gold artefacts, exemplified for the case of Georgia. It is focussed on the prehistoric gold mine of Sakdrisi. The study included the investigation of both Bronze Age gold artefacts and native gold by chemical and lead isotope analyses using ICP-mass spectrometry. The analyses of the artefacts indicate that the gold which was used to manufacture the artefacts was alloyed with variable amounts of silver. Beside silver, the concentrations of platinum, osmium, and other trace elements in the gold are low. In addition to the analysis of the chemical composition, lead isotope analyses also provided insights into the provenance of the gold artefacts from the region Georgia-Anatolia-Armenia. No sophisticated treatment of the gold could be detected.