The composition of metal in objects from the early medieval Kurilovka hoard (the results of optical emission spectrography)

The composition of metal in objects from the hoard found in 2007 near the village of Kurilovka (Kursk Region) was analysed with application of optical-emission spectrography. The hoard enters the range of Early Medieval hoards of Group 1 found in the Dnieper region and consists of female and male adornments and costume details and ingots of metal used as raw material. Totally 34 samples were analysed. Three were of a lead-tin alloy, with either lead or tin predominant, while the other objects were shaped of copper-based alloys, with basic admixture of zinc. Only one sample is classified as tin-bronze. In the vast majority of samples a considerable amount of zinc was discovered together with high content of lead and tin, the latter taken together often exceeded zinc content. This results from the fact that metal for jewellery was obtained by smelting brass with a lead-tin alloy. The lead-tin ratio in objects from the Kurilovka hoard varies considerably, also due to the fact that the lead-tin alloys were smelted with brass of different formulas. Objects of female jewellery were cast of metal with less lead-tin admixture than metal used for parts of male belt-sets. Two stylistically distinct items - a belt-end with side slots and a buckle plate (Fig. 2, 14, 15) were cast of a different metal, namely, of tin bronze and an alloy similar to that used for female ornaments. The wide practice of smelting brass with a lead-tin alloy in the Kurilovka hoard distinguishes it from other medieval hoards of Group 1 found in the Dnieper region.