Elemental analysis of silver plating remains on the iron items from the archaeological sites of Yenisei Kyrgyz

The ferrous metal artworks were one of the representative ethnocultural markers of the Yenisei Kyrgyz during the pre-Mongol and Mongol periods (12-13 centuries AD). The belt plaques, horse bridle and saddle parts were ornamented by floral and geometric ornaments, and decorated with a precious metal plating, which left behind only small fragments after the dwell in the funeral pile. We perused about 300 items and selected 7 samples from the various Yenisei Kyrgyz sites for analysis of metal plating. They belong to the belt ornaments and horse bridle According to their function. Elemental analysis was carried out by electron microscope Hitachi TM 3000 (Japan) and unambiguously identified metal in all samples like the silver alloy with metal content of not less than 98,8 %. Such a high silver content, typical of highly artistic items and jewelry. It is suggest that the main method of plating of iron items was amalgamation. Funeral pile, where the items of accompanying equipment had felt within, played the role of “oxidative melting ”, when admixtures had escaped and burned up and silver had concentrated on the surface of the iron items in the form of small drop-shaped fragments.