Archeaometallurgical finds from Barsinia, Northern Jordan: Microstructural characterization and conservation treatment

Within the framework of an excavation project aimed to systematically characterize the various aspects of settlement and activities in Northern Jordan, a considerable collection of slag lumps and iron artifacts of different forms and typologies excavated from the archaeological site of Barsinia were collected. Excavations have revealed other metallurgical materials such as pottery tuyeres and furnace-like structure. Studying those finds was important because of their archaeological and technological interests. For the analytical and metallurgical study, X-ray diffraction was used to identify the mineralogical composition of samples. Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer, energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray fluorescence spectrometer were used to determine the accurate elemental composition of these finds. Furthermore examinations by using metallographic, polarizing microscope and scanning electron microscopy were employed to diagnose the characteristic morphology and environmental effects of these archaeometallurgical finds. Microstructural investigations emphasized that iron production processes were performed locally at the archaeological site of Barsinia even if the iron ores were imported from other mining location in Jordan. Direct or "bloomer" was the main method used for smelting iron ores followed by smithing methods to locally produce iron artifacts. This, most probably, was the state of technology from the Bronze Age to the Byzantine period. To ensure the stability of these deteriorated finds for future research, required treatment and conservation processes were successfully carried out. (C) 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.