The Scythian necropolis of Sâncrai (Alba County) was investigated in 2016, which led to the discovery of 95 burials (inhumation and cremation). The study of the tombs revealed a rich funerary inventory, composed mainly of ceramic vessels of different shapes and sizes; weapons such as akinakes daggers, spearheads, and arrowheads; ornaments including amber beads, kauri shells, kaolin, earrings, loop rings, saltaleoni type bracelets, and clothing appliqués; and harness elements, including horsehair and quiver appliqués. The purpose of this paper is to describe the archaeometric analyses of metal pieces recovered from this site.

A combination of non-invasive/micro-destructive analytical techniques (optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectrometry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy), and statistical methods (cluster analysis, using SPSS Statistics) was used to obtain comprehensive information about the studied metal artefacts. In this respect, 16 metallic samples were investigated to establish the samples' defects as well as their elemental and molecular composition. Overall, the analytical and statistical analyses show us that the metallic samples can be split into three groups based on composition: iron, copper-tin/bronze, and gold-silver. In these groups, samples present a strong correlation, suggesting that they were created using similar minerals.

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[2] Ştefan Ferenczi, “Cimitirul scitic de la Ciumbrud (I)” [The Scythian Necropolis of Ciumbrud], AMN II (1965): 78-83.

[3] Alexandru Vulpe, “Descoperiri hallstattiene din zona Aiudului” [Discoveries Belonging to the Hallstatt Period from the Area of Aiud City], Thraco-Dacica V, 1-2 (1984): 55-56.

[4] Aurel Rustoiu, Gabriel Balteş, J. G. Nagy, “Sâncrai,” CCA (2016): 210-211.

[5] Gabriel Balteș, “Din inventarul funerar al necropolei scitice de la Sâncrai (jud. Alba). Pumnale de tip akinakes” [The Funerary Inventory of the Scythian Necropolis of Sâncrai (Alba County). Akinakes Daggers], BCȘS 25 (2019): 5-23.

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[9] Diana E. Tomuş (Szabo) et al., “Archaeometric Analyses on Precucuteni-Type Poterry from Transylvania (Romania). Case Study: Alba Iulia – Lumea Nouă,” J. Sci. Arts 21, 1 (2021): 289.

[10] Chien-Pin Sherman Hsu, “Infrared Spectroscopy”, in Handbook of Instrumental Techniques for Analytical Chemistry, ed. Frank A. Settle (New Jersey: Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River, 1997), 266.

[11] Alina Binţinţan et al., “Multielemental and Chemical Characterization of Eneolithic Petreşti Painted Pottery from the Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă Archaeological Site, Romania,” Analytical Letters 52, 15 (2019): 2351.

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[14] Nikolaos Zacharias and Y. Bassiakos, “Dating of Artefacts”, in Nuclear Techniques for Cultural Heritage Research [IAEA Radiation Technology Series No. 2] (Vienna: International Atomic Energy Agency, 2011), 86-89.

[15] Vandenabeele and Donais, “Mobile Spectroscopic Instrumentation,” 27.

[16] Sofia Pescarin, Reconstructing Ancient Landscape (Budapest: Archaeolingua, 2009), 18.

[17] Antonio Doménech-Carbó, Maria Teresa Doménech-Carbó, and Virginia Costa, “Application of Instrumental Methods in the Analysis of Historic, Artistic and Archaeological Objects,” in Antonio Doménech-Carbó, María Teresa Doménech-Carbó, and Virginia Costa, eds., Electrochemical Methods in Archaeometry, Conservation and Restoration. Monographs in Electrochemistry (Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, 2009), 1-2.

[18] David A. Scott, Metallography and Microstructure of Ancient and Historic Metals (Singapore: Tien Wah Press, 1991), 42.

[19] Ibid., 27.

[20] Ibid., 13.

[21] Wenhui Zhu et al., “In Situ Atomic-Scale Probing of the Reduction Dynamics of Two-Dimensional Fe₂O₃ Nanostructures,” in ACS Nano 11, 1 (2017): 645-664, fig. 1.

[22] Scott, Metallography, xvi.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Ibid., xviii.

[25] Ibid., 29.

[26] Ibid., 140.

[27] Ibid., 102.

[28] Ibid., 104.

[29] Ibid., 120.

[30] Ibid., 103.

[31] Ibid., 5.

[32] Ibid., 91.

[33] Alina Binţinţan et al., “ATR-FTIR and SEM-EDS Analyses of Lumea Noua Painted Pottery from Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă Neolithic Site,” in Rev. de Chim. 68, 4 (2017): 850, tab. 5.

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[37] Marta Quaranta et al., “Chinese Archaeological Artefacts: Microstructure and Corrosion Behaviour of High-Leaded Bronzes,” J. Cult. Herit. 15, 3 (2014): 283-291.

Fig. 1. Google Maps capture showing the geographical location of Sâncrai necropolis (in red).

Fig. 2. Map with topographical distribution of excavated burials at Sâncrai necropolis.

Fig. 3. Studied samples: a) axe (S1); b) akinakes dagger (S2); c) akinakes dagger (S3); d) arrowhead (S4); e) hair ring (S5); f) propeller-shaped pendant (S6); g) saltaleoni bracelet fragment (S7); h) bead (S8); i) ring with 4 protuberances (S9); j) quiver applique (S10); k) belt dispenser (S11); l) horse-bit (S12); m) clothing appliqué (S13); n) fibula (S14); o) clothing appliques, 2 pieces: S15 (left) and S16 (right).

Fig. 4. Sample S1: a) Optical microscopy image (10X); b) SEM image (3 kX).

Fig. 5. Sample S2: a) Optical microscopy image (10X); b) SEM image (5 kX).

Fig. 6. Sample S3: a) Optical microscopy image (40X); b) SEM image (5 kX); c) SEM image (3 kX,, d) SEM image (3.5 kX).

Fig. 7. Sample S4: a) Optical microscopy image (100X); b) SEM image (2.5 kX).

Fig. 8. Sample S5: a) Optical microscopy image (40X); b) SEM image (3 kX).

Fig. 9. Sample S6: a) Optical microscopy image (40X); b) SEM image (2 kX).

Fig. 10. Sample S7: a) Optical microscopy image (100X); b) SEM image (6 kX).

Fig. 11. Sample S8: a) Optical microscopy image (100X); b) SEM image (3 kX).

 Fig. 12. Sample S9: a) Optical microscopy image (40X); b) SEM image (1.5 kX).

Fig. 13. Sample S10: a) Optical microscopy image (10X); b) SEM image (2.2 kX).

Fig. 14. Sample S11: a) Optical microscopy image (100X); b) SEM image (3 kX).

Fig. 15. Sample S12: a) Optical microscopy image (40X); b) SEM image (5 kX).

Fig. 16. Sample S13: a) Optical microscopy image (100X); b) SEM image (6 kX).

Fig. 17. Sample S14: a) Optical microscopy image (40X); b) SEM image (800 X).

Fig. 18. Sample S15: a) Optical microscopy image (10X); b) SEM image (9 kX).

Fig. 19. Sample S16: a) Optical microscopy image (100X); b) SEM image (5 kX).

Fig. 20. Principal component analysis.

Fig. 21. Cluster analysis.