Archaeometallurgical Analysis of the Provincial Silver Coinage of Judah: More on the Chaîne Opératoire of the Minting Process

作者：Maayan Cohen, D. Ashkenazi, Haim Gitler, Oren Tal · 发表于：Materials · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.3390/ma16062200 · 被引用次数：6 · 研究领域：Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis、Metallurgy and Cultural Artifacts、Archaeology and Historical Studies

-based denominations from the Persian and Hellenistic period Yehud and dated to the second half of the fourth century BCE were analyzed to determine their material composition. Of the 50 silver coins, 32 are defined as Type 5 (Athena/Owl) of the Persian period Yehud series (ca. 350-333 BCE); 9 are Type 16 (Persian king wearing a jagged crown/Falcon in flight) (ca. 350-333); 3 are Type 24 series (Portrait/Falcon) of the Macedonian period (ca. 333-306 BCE); and 6 are Type 31 (Portrait/Falcon) (ca. 306-302/1 BCE). The coins underwent visual testing, multi-focal light microscope observation, XRF analysis, and SEM-EDS analysis. The metallurgical findings revealed that all the coins from the Type 5, 16, 24, and 31 series are made of high-purity silver with a small percentage of copper. Based on these results, it is suggested that each series was manufactured using a controlled composition of silver-copper alloy. The findings present novel information about the material culture of the southern Levant during the Late Persian period and Macedonian period, as expressed through the production and use of these silver coins.