Silver, Sasanian

This technique is insensitive for gold and lead in the range 0.1 to 1.0%, which is the range covered by most silver objects of antiquity and particularly the Sasanian silver objects which are reported here. 

Thermal neutron activation analysis was done on small samples from Sasanian silver objects to determine the concentrations of three major elements, Ag, Cu, and An, and 16 trace elements, Na, K, Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Zn, As, Br, Sn,... 

T1he elemental composition of ancient silver objects is a potential source of information on the kind of ores used to produce silver, the location of these ores, the ancient metallurgy used to extract the silver, and the trade routes through which they passed. As part of a comprehensive study on Sasanian silver at the Metropolitan Museum of Art we used thermal neutron activation to analyze small samples from silver objects... 

In this report we describe our quantitative analyses for three major components and for 16 trace elements present from parts per billion (ppb) to parts per million (ppm) in Sasanian silver by thermal neutron activation analysis. The analytical data are discussed element by element. Some of the conclusions which can be drawn from the objects are discussed. Since the amount of comparative data available is too small for generalizations, many of our conclusions and assumptions are subject to change when more data and information become available. 

Figure 1. Sasanian silver gib plate showing a king hunting ibexes, late 5th or 6th century A.D. (Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fletcher...

Of the 19 elements determined in Sasanian silver objects, only gold and iridium seem to indicate the silver source used. Indirectly through their concentration ratios zinc, tin, arsenic, antimony, and selenium might provide some additional information on the silver source used, and their absolute concentrations, together with those of other elements might be useful in obtaining information on metallurgical techniques used. 

Continued analysis of Sasanian silver objects will be directed towards (1) a detailed statistical study of the data, (2) analysis of Sasanian and Umayyad coins, (3) determination of isotope ratios of lead extracted from the silver, (4) correlation between the analytical data and stylistic information obtained from an art historical and archaeological study and with information on methods of manufacture, toolmark, etc. 

B.C. and the famous Bronze Horse was cast by the lost wax process and not, as had been suggested, by a modern piece-mold sand casting process. In addition. X-ray radiography helped to provide details on the methods of manu-factuer of Sasanian silver and a Chinese bronze vessel. 

Radiographic studies on more than 100 Sasanian silver artifacts and an equal number of related silver objects strongly indicate that the Sasanian silversmith used hammering exclusively as the major shaping technique for all his objects. Among vessels accepted as genuine Sasanian, none were found that appeared to have been made by the double shell technique or that could be positively identified as cast. 

The incorrect description by Orbeli and Trever of Sasanian silver-smithing techniques did not misinform the serious scholar alone the modem forger was fooled also. Many Sasanian silver objects exist that were manufactured either by the double shell technique or by casting. Since our study indicated that these techniques were not used by the Sasanian silversmith, the authenticity of such objects should be considered very questionable. (Combined anomalies in style, iconography, elemental analysis, method of manufacture, and corrosion should provide, of course, the definitive evidence that these objects are not made by a Sasanian silversmith.)... 

Figure 9. (top) Forgery of Sasanian silver gilt plate, private collection. Figure 10. (Tjottomj X-ray radiograph of forgery shown in Figure 9. Decorations appear as darker areas indicating hollow area between two surfaces. This plate is manufactured by the double shell technique, a method not used by Sasanian silversmiths. Exposure 200 kV, 5 mA, lead screens.

Meyers P, van Zelst L, Sayre E V (1974) Major and Trace Elements in Sasanian Silver, in Archaeological Chemistry, (ed. Beck CW) p. 22, Washington, DC, Amer. Chemical Society... 

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