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The micro-PIXE method is an excellent tool to determine the provenance of ancient gold and bronze artifacts by comparing their elemental composition (especially trace elements) with geological native gold and copper samples. The results on some Dacian gold staters "Kosons" and on some Bronze Age artifacts (mainly sickles and axes) from Southern part of Romania are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small samples of native gold from Rosia Montana (Apuseni Mts.) and from Cavnic (Baia-Mare district) were scanned by micro-PIXE method to identify especially minor (between 0.1 and 1%) elements and possible micro-inclusions (micro-areas of different composition from the surrounding material - e.g. rich in tellurium and antimony). The samples were also studied using an AXIO IMAGER - Carl Zeiss polarized light microscope and a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) from FEI, model Inspect S with an Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDAX) unit. Analyzed samples are from recovery obtained by inhabitants from landfills of former mining plants. For Rosia Montana we detected micrometer areas (5 µm X 5 µm) rich in Ag and Sb and without Au, Sb/Ag ratio being 1/3.5-4.5, polarized light microscopy and SEM-EDAX analysis confirming the presence of pyrargyrite-proustite. For Cavnic-Roata samples, one micro-area revealed at micro-PIXE an important presence of Te (16657 ppm), a significant presence of Sb (2861 ppm) and an increase of Ag content, indicating the presence of a Ag telluride. Polarized light microscopy and SEM-EDAX analysis confirmed the presence of cervelleite and argentite (acanthite). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]