Open AccessA unique early medieval pendant (kaptorga) from Opole Groszowice (Silesia, SW Poland) in the light of interdisciplinary archaeometric studies
Author(s) -
Beata Miazga,
Sylwia Rodak,
Jeannette Jacqueline Łucejko,
Erika Ribechini
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
sprawozdania archeologiczne
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.221
H-Index - 4
eISSN - 2719-647X
pISSN - 0081-3834
DOI - 10.23858/sa/72.2020.2.2015
Subject(s) - bronze , archaeology , brass , beeswax , bronze age , archaeological science , art , ancient history , geology , geography , materials science , metallurgy , history , composite material , copper , wax
Finds of early medieval pendants, known as kaptorgas, are not common in Poland. For this reason, the kaptorga found in 1957 in Opole (Silesia), in southwest Poland, is all the more interesting. The artefact is housed in a museum, and on the occasion of its re-conservation, permission to conduct archaeometric studies was given. The kaptorga was subjected to analyses using nondestructive and minimally invasive techniques. Elemental tests with energy dispersive XRF and SEM-EDS spectrometers showed that the pendant is made of brass, not bronze sheet, as was originally thought. In its filling, there is a small fragment of plant-fiber thread (subjected to microscopic observations) and beeswax, which was identified using infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer.