Non-destructive analyses of iron artifacts excavated from Sakai-Yaishi archaeological site

Mitsui, Seiichiro  

A number of ancient iron artifacts in apparently well-preserved state were excavated from Sakai-Yaishi archaeological site in Nambu Town, Tottori Prefecture. To obtain detailed information on corrosion state of the iron artifacts, we analysed corrosion depths with a X-ray Computer Tomography (X-ray CT) and corrosion products with a portable X-ray diffractometer equipped with X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRD/XRF). For comparison, a poor-preserved iron artifact excavated from Bakurou-Machi archaeological site in Bakurou Town also analysed. The results imply that the difference in the corrosion states of the iron artifacts between Sakai-Yaishi and Bakurou-Machi archaeological sites reflects a difference in locations between both archaeological sites, that is a difference in burial environmental conditions between a hillside and a beachside.