Chronocultural sorting of archaeological bronze objects using laser-induced breakdown spectrometry

This work discusses the capability of laser-induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS) for characterization and cataloging of metallic objects belonging to the Bronze and Iron Ages. A set of 37 metallic objects from different locations of the South East of Iberian Peninsula has been sorted according to their metal content. Arsenic concentration in metallic objects has been found a key factor for distinguishing between Bronze and Iron Ages objects, allowing the chronocultural sorting of each piece. For this study, a pulsed Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was used to generate a microplasma onto the sample surface. To quantify and catalogue these metallic objects, calibration curves for copper, arsenic, tin, lead and iron were established. The quantitative results demonstrate that the chronological sorting carried out by LIBS matches agreeably with archaeological dating criteria.