Archaeometric Investigation of a Hunnic-Period Sacrificial Assemblage from Nyergesújfalu, Hungary

assemblage were found in 2021. The Hunnic period assemblage contains fifteen items altogether:
four gold lunular mounts, six cellwork-decorated gold oval mounts, two cellwork-decorated gold
suspension rings, two gold buckles and fragments of a scale-patterned gilded silver plate. The present
study aims to determine the elemental composition of the metal alloy of the Hunnic-period objects
and characterise the decoration techniques (gilding and garnet inlays) by using optical microscopy,
handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (hXRF) and scanning electron microscopy with energydispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDX). The gold objects, including their small parts such as the
rivets of buckles and lunular mounts, sockets and filigree, were manufactured from a relatively goodquality gold alloy (>80 wt% Au). The fragments of the scale-patterned silver plate were manufactured
from a high-quality silver alloy (>94 wt% Ag), similar to late Roman silver alloys characterised by high
Ag content, and was decorated with fire (mercury) gilding. The garnets used for inlays are almandine
and intermediate pyrope-almandine garnets. Based on their chemistry, the garnets belong to Group X
and probably originate from the placer deposits of Sri Lanka.