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Compositional and morphological study of a Nuragic bronze figurine with neutron diffraction and neutron tomography

M. Cataldo, B. Billeci, S. Britto, N. Canu, M. Clemenza, G. Marcucci, A. Scherillo, V. Sipala, P. Oliva

TL;DR

The paper addresses how Nuragic bronze figurines were manufactured and whether non-invasive neutron techniques can reveal lost-wax casting features. It combines time-of-flight neutron diffraction at INES and neutron imaging at IMAT to quantify phase composition, texture, and internal morphology of a Nuragic warrior statuette. Key findings include a multiphase bronze with approximately 7.5 wt% Sn, presence of nantokite, and strong crystallographic texture indicating a long cooldown and cold-working, along with limited porosity and a vent-like back pore observed in imaging. The work demonstrates the value of non-destructive neutron methods for cultural heritage metal artefacts and enhances understanding of Sardinian bronze production techniques.

Abstract

Nuragic figurines are rare and unique examples of the mastery achieved by Sardinian craftsmen in the early Iron Age. These bronze artefacts were most likely cast using the lost wax technique: the shapes were moulded with relative ease, and even complex figures could be represented. However, the manufacturing process was not always a single-step solution: in some cases, the parts of the model were moulded separately and then assembled in a second place. The analytical study of these artefacts can help to understand the specific casting methods and to evaluate the techniques implemented by Sardinian craftsmen to produce such complex objects. In recent years, neutron diffraction (ND) and neutron imaging (NI) have proven to be among the most effective methods for non-invasive studies. ND and NI provide complementary quantitative and morphological information that can be the key to understanding the casting processes. In this work, the results of the analysis of a bronze figurine will be reported. The statuette represents a Nuragic warrior and was made available by the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Sassari e Nuoro (Sassari, Italy).

Compositional and morphological study of a Nuragic bronze figurine with neutron diffraction and neutron tomography

TL;DR

The paper addresses how Nuragic bronze figurines were manufactured and whether non-invasive neutron techniques can reveal lost-wax casting features. It combines time-of-flight neutron diffraction at INES and neutron imaging at IMAT to quantify phase composition, texture, and internal morphology of a Nuragic warrior statuette. Key findings include a multiphase bronze with approximately 7.5 wt% Sn, presence of nantokite, and strong crystallographic texture indicating a long cooldown and cold-working, along with limited porosity and a vent-like back pore observed in imaging. The work demonstrates the value of non-destructive neutron methods for cultural heritage metal artefacts and enhances understanding of Sardinian bronze production techniques.

Abstract

Nuragic figurines are rare and unique examples of the mastery achieved by Sardinian craftsmen in the early Iron Age. These bronze artefacts were most likely cast using the lost wax technique: the shapes were moulded with relative ease, and even complex figures could be represented. However, the manufacturing process was not always a single-step solution: in some cases, the parts of the model were moulded separately and then assembled in a second place. The analytical study of these artefacts can help to understand the specific casting methods and to evaluate the techniques implemented by Sardinian craftsmen to produce such complex objects. In recent years, neutron diffraction (ND) and neutron imaging (NI) have proven to be among the most effective methods for non-invasive studies. ND and NI provide complementary quantitative and morphological information that can be the key to understanding the casting processes. In this work, the results of the analysis of a bronze figurine will be reported. The statuette represents a Nuragic warrior and was made available by the Soprintendenza Archeologia Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Sassari e Nuoro (Sassari, Italy).
Paper Structure (9 sections, 3 figures, 1 table)

This paper contains 9 sections, 3 figures, 1 table.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Methods
  3. Neutron Diffraction
  4. Neutron Imaging
  5. Results and Discussion
  6. Neutron Diffraction
  7. Neutron Imaging
  8. Discussion
  9. Conclusions

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: The warrior statuette.
  • Figure 2: Diffraction pattern of some of the areas with the highest texture index. The neck (A) and the left leg (B). Here, it can be seen how the copper peaks at 1.1, 1.27 and 1.89 Å vary their intensity with the variation of scattering angle.
  • Figure 3: Three different slices and a reconstructed 3D projection (d) of the warrior. In the grey scale, the brighter spots correspond to areas rich in neutron attenuation elements. For the horns and the arms, the responsible is the hydrogen contained in the epoxy resin used for restoration. Circled in yellow, the pore.