Study, characterization and diagnosis of a pewter dish of underwater provenance deposited in the Cadiz Museum
Keywords:
peltre, corrosión, arqueometría, arqueología subacuática, cádizAbstract
Pewter, an allow primarily composed by tin, and other metals in lower percentage, has been used onboard life in ships since the XVI century, making this material very present in subaquatic archaeological sites. A good example is a pewter dish owned by the Cádiz Museum, which was deposited in 1982, and object of the present study. Optical Microscopy (MO), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray Diffraction analysis (XRD) were used to determine its elemental
composition and corrosion products. The scientific data obtained, in combination with bibliographical, and documental research, allowed to characterized a specific type of pewter which composes in the dish, and so-called fine pewter. Different tin oxides, like romarchite and cassiterite, were identified as pewter corrosion products. These data enabled to elaborate a complete diagnostic study of this object and to advance in the knowledge of the alteration processes of pewter found in subaquatic sites.
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References
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