Multimodal Synchrotron Analysis of Two Emblematic Bronze Age Artefacts for Authenticity Assessment and Technological Characterization

We propose a non-destructive synchrotron (SR) investigation of a debated bronze figurine of uncertain authenticity and of a Bronze Age gold signet ring. For a bronze figurine, SR-XRF, XRD, XAS, and μCT will determine whether the bulk alloy, Pb-inclusion microstructure, corrosion stratigraphy, and 3D casting features align with an ancient origin. The internal coherence of the alloy–alteration–manufacturing system will critically support authenticity attestation. For a gold signet ring, this multimodal approach will characterize provenance markers (Pt, Pd and Sn) that have been shown to be informative for identifying alluvial gold sources, while the use of μCT can expose hidden construction details (seams, fillers, cavities) beyond surface-limited XRF. The project establishes a rigorous SR-based framework for testing authenticity and understanding technological features of Bronze Age artefacts through convergence of composition, speciation and internal structure