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The technology of early platinum plating: a gold mask of the La Tolita culture, Ecuador
Author(s) -
Meeks N.,
La Niece S.,
Estévez P.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/1475-4754.t01-1-00059
Subject(s) - platinum , materials science , gold plating (software engineering) , plating (geology) , metallurgy , foil method , alloy , scanning electron microscope , composite material , chemistry , geology , engineering , geophysics , catalysis , biochemistry , software engineering
A metallurgical study of platinum plating on a gold pendant of the La Tolita culture of northern Ecuador was carried out, using high‐magnification examination by scanning electron microscopy with analytical facilities. The plating layer was found to comprise a 25 µm thick foil of platinum grains sintered with a gold–silver alloy. The high silver content of this alloy suggests the deliberate selection of pale‐coloured, silver‐rich alluvial gold. The foil had been bonded on to the pre‐formed gold sheet by hammering and heating. It is postulated that a strip of gold sheet was plated by this method and that several pendants were cut from it.