We work very closely with archaeological
scientists here in the British Museum. And one of my colleagues, Dr Aude Mongiatti,
has been working on the Oxus treasure, which is a collection of about 180
gold, silver, and gilt-silver objects that date from the fifth or
fourth century BC. Hi my name is Aude Mongiatti and I’m a scientist here at the British
Museum. I specialise in ancient metallurgy. And today I am studying some gold
objects from the Oxus treasure. This is an example you have here a gold
roundel with boars and ibex on it. And what I’m interested in is understanding
how it was made and also its composition. So I am using the scanning electron
microscope, variable pressure scanning electron microscope which allows us to
study objects non-destructively and to analyse them as well. Here I will now
push the door, we can know the position of the object at all times thanks to the
infrared camera within the chamber. And so it’s actually ready now so I’m
able to switch on the high voltage so the incident beam of electrons onto the
object to create an image. It should now be able, yes there it is. We have got a
first image of our object. Then we get to a small area and we get the image in
focus as much as we can, we go higher in magnification. And then we can move on
the surface of the object. This is an ear of one of the of the boars. Those long grooves are part of its mane. And this is the mane going through here.
And what we are trying to look at is the type of tool marks that we can see on the images.
And here for example we can see cuts which have been done in the mane but the
tool has actually gone further down. They’re quite sharp angled. Other grooves
I think the ones which we can see on the ear they’re much smoother
and so the tool that has been used is most probably with a blunt edge and
it has been gently pushed into the surface of the metal to create the
groove instead of cutting through the metal to do that. So this is the sort of
features we’re trying to look for in order to identify manufacturing
techniques on objects. If I show you one of these gold armlets this is a typical
example of a cast. The casting method used is a well known method for the
period which is lost wax casting. Some of the decoration has been added post
casting using techniques such as chasing and punching which is using a blunt edged
tool to create the various grooves and patterns. Here is another object illustrating
a different type of technique. It will have started with a
little cast ingot of gold but in order to create this roundel, make the shape
and then decorate it it’s only hand working which has been involved. Again
chasing and punching, gently hammered from the back and from the front as well. So the scanning electron microscope
as I’ve shown allows us to capture high resolution images but it also allows us
to analyse compositions. The SEM is equipped with a detector for energy
dispersive x-ray spectroscopy which allows for chemical characterisation of
a sample or an object. So this detector allows us to acquire spectra typical of the
chemical composition of a sample or object. So in order to analyse, in our
case we’re looking at gold alloys, we first acquire an image of the area we
are interested in. And this is relatively you know low magnification it’s 200
times you can go much higher if you’re interested in a single crystal or phase
as we call that in a metal. So once we have acquired the image of the area of
interest we can choose to analyse a whole area — this whole area inside the
yellow square is being analysed — but I can also
choose to do spot analysis. So I’ve done four little spot analyses here. Then you
want to have an idea of the chemical composition overall but also each phase.
And so while the spectrum is being acquired you can watch it live and see
the elements which are being detected. What we see here is the composition of
the surface of the object. And in our case we can see that there is a
lot of gold with some silver and copper. What has to be borne in mind though is
that due to various factors such as burial environment and/or surface
treatment applied by the goldsmiths, some of the alloying elements copper and
possibly silver may have been removed from the surface. So it may be that in
the actual core of the object the silver and copper contents are higher than what
we detect here on the surface. So yes this is the final spectrum that you get
upon doing chemical analysis. And then the software also allows you to quantify.
So here I have chosen to highlight gold, silver, and copper which are the alloying
elements for this alloy and I can see that on my surface on this particular
object and on this particular area there is about 90% gold, about 9%
silver and very little copper. So we get two types of results, the spectrum where
we can actually check whether the elements that the software detects are
really there and then the quantified and normalised results. What I found interesting is the variety of
alloys which have been identified. For example this particular roundel which looks a lot greener than the other gold
objects due to its high silver content it has got about 20%, it shows that it’s
an unrefined gold used for this particular object. We were
really excited right from the outset to put the results of archaeological
science in the interpretation of this exhibition. One of the most interesting
things about this new research was the real proof of the level of skill and the
variety of techniques used by the different craftsmen to make these
different objects.
This is wonderful stuff. Love to see more on this topic.
3:40 what now?
that guy's name is "saint john"??
Cythians are old Afghan Pashtoon tribes of Arian
What is the effect of surface finish on the quantification? Have you ever been able to cut open a piece to examine the interior?
Love that these videos are getting longer and more detailed.
In the vast spaces of Siberia of nowadays there are (reportedly) quite a few gold mines. Do you have any idea where the Scythians were procuring their gold from? Any river described as rich with the ingots?
aude mongiatti is pretty cute.
Iranians =
Persian
Parthian
Bactrian
Sogdian
Sramatian
Scythian
Saka
Massaget
Lulobian
Kotian
Kassit
Median
How do nomads produce such fine and intricate art? The sophistication and detail in these pieces require sophisticated smelters, tools and workshops not usually associated with mobility.
i watch a plethora United States Culture stuff ,well assimilated direction ,that made me feel. from Louisville ,KY.
"so I'm an architect..what do you do for work?"(this line works most times).. she says with sexy French accent.."oh I analyse 5000 year old gold jewellery under an electron microscope at the British Museum". He moves along and finds a waitress to chat up
More! Love finally seeing the benefits of the scanning microscope!
Hırsızların arsızlıkları.. önce çal sonra peşine masallar uydur.. ceyhun ırmağına ok-uz, oğuzdan bozma oxus de, iskit de saka de, zırvalar, Türkler olduğunu sakla, hatta pers falan de.. artık yalancının mumu yatsıya kadardı.. müznein bilimcisi yaftasıyla uydurulan yalanları iletişim çağında dünya kamuoyunun karnı tok.. Çaldığınızın Türk tarihi olduğunu, iskit dediklerinizin Türkler olduğunu nereye kadar saklayıp kendinizi avutacaksınız? Kurganlardan Türkler fışkırıyor.. Kurgan kültürü bir tek ırka ait olduğunu biliniyor.. sizin kabul etmemeniz gerçeği değiştirmiyor.. aynı Türklerin kurganlarından çıkan aynı buluntular, rusyanın hermitaj müzesinde ağzına kadar dolu.. ruslar kendi tarihleri olarak başta sahip çıktılar ancak sonunda dirençleri kırıldı, gerçeği itiraf ettiler… her açtıkları kurganda rus tarihi değil, Türkleri buldular, bunlar Türklerin ta kendisi dediler.. sıra sizde.. 𐱅𐰈𐰼𐰚 – 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰰
She's gorgeous.
Oxus this is the name of the Turkish tribe oghuz. This cultura is called the oghuz. Becouse BMAC Oxus were proto oghuzes.
Long live the heritage of the Indo-Europeans, the cultural ancestors of Europe, Iran, Northern India and many others.
Most of the items the British Museum has are stolen.
Thank you so much for sharing this information
Can you tell the age of gold? I mean no just in an artistic context.
What bunch of British sheeeet. Show some artifacts, you basically had 7:00 of nothing.
animal style? listen to this 🙂 some relatives https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8dCGIm6yc
Sponsored by British Petroleum – a contributor to the climate breakdown melting the permafrost releasing trapped methane and of course exposing once preserved Scythian remains.
Viking bracelets. 🤪
I can't believe you wrote on the gold. So ugly.
I will close a door, push a button and zoom. I just realized I'm over qualified for this job because I had a microwave dinner this evening! Stolen goods, give em back! More knowledge in my last comment than lies in this video!!
Come to Bulgaria, so you can see as many as you want Scythian treasures!
You can start with the oldest one on our planet!
It would have taken unbelievable skill to make these things for sure
You know, only 200 magnification…
Muy fino todo
Super smart women are hot. I mean that in the nicest way..
More great jobs given to EU people. This job is easy
Beautiful craftsmanship. These people were truly gifted.
Archeologists always talk about Sumer, egypt and the Indus Valley. But only few mention the Middle Asian civilizations along the Oxus River ( Amu Darya ). It is the motherland of the Iranic peoples and the Vedic Indians.
It's OK to be white.
The eu,un all Zionist banks media, tech companies, ngos and borderless charities must be destroyed for Europe to keep it's European cultural, heritage, identity and for OUR children to have a safe peaceful future.
The Scythians are the progenitors of all civilization, because that's what lesser people did with the knowledge of the Scythians
The British museum has destroyed more history than almost any other org and rewrites history constantly to fit their narrative. zero respect for this org.
what kind of hitting and carving tools did they use? iron, bronze, or stone?
Thanks Peter the Great.
Oxus/Oguz tribe.
The Scythian-Iranian theory is mainly based on linguistics and has already been proven to be false. Not a single archaic author ever claimed that Scythians spoke an Iranic language. The surviving information on the Scythian and Alan faiths do not indicate any Iranic-Zoroastrian features either.
The Scythian golden plow, yoke, battle axe, and drinking cup can be related to a Turkic mythological basis. The series of tales (Nart Epos) of the folks in Northern Pontic Steppe and Caucasus are also connected with the Scythian mythology.
Unlike Indo-Iranians, Scythian original way of divination using willow twigs and linden bast is confirmed by the oldest Turkic runiform book titled, “Irk Bitig/Book of Omens”. Scythians buried their dead with horses. They also had a tradition of embalming the bodies of their chiefs, which was explained in detail by Herodotus.
Unlike Indo-Iranians, Scythian names for deities are completely coherent with the Karachai-Balkar ones. Scythian mythology was inherited by Balkar people and preserved in their folk memory up to this day. Scythians lived in felt “Yurts” and widely used felt products in their daily lives. They originally cooked meat in a stomach over a fire of bones and wood. Scythians also used the method of scalping enemies by incising their skin around the head at ear level and carried around the skulls of fallen enemies.
The Scythian rock art, petroglyphs can be found across Eurasia, in regions invariably populated by Turkic peoples, such as Urals, Itil-Volga, Caucasus, Northern Pontic Steppe, Central Asia and Siberia. Numerous petroglyphs can be complemented by Turkic inscriptions. The bodies of documented rock inscriptions also number in many hundreds. The spread of rock art matches with other hallmark traits such as Kurgan burials, none of which are typical for Indo-Iranians.
Anna Comnena called the Turkic Pechenegs as “Scythians”. She indicated that they spoke the same language as the “Kuman/Kipchak” Turks.
Earlier Turks were named as “Scythian/Saka”. According to Roman Emperor II Justinianus, the letter of conformity, sent by the Göktürk State regarding the Sasanian peace, was written in “Scythian language”.
armenian historians also described the Turks in Eastern Anatolia region as “Scythians” or “Huns”.
This video presents a large amount of technical information very concisely and clearly. Well done!
THE REAL HISTORY OG THE SCYTHIANS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1OVwuCdkK4
The best of men
As Technical Director of OSHA many years back, my dad used an electron microscope regularly (early 90's) and they certainly didn't have the wonderful graphical interfaces of today. I remember as a kid that a rare rock was found and he was able to identify what it was by using the electron microscope at his workplace. There were very few of them in the world at that time, so were fairly inaccessible for most institutions.
very cool but my biggest question is can you just name your son St.John instead of John?
this stuff should be worn by fabulously wealthy people as intended, not sitting in a lab marked up with sharpie
Those “cuts” ran a little long on the boar’s mane 2:00. Quality Control guy must have fallen asleep haha. Seriously, without magnification, precise etchings would have been a very tedious leaned skill.
Eire Arya Iran .
Its rare to see artifacts scythian titled.
Thank you so much for sharing this. Some of us may never see these collections otherwise. And it is absolutely fascinating to be able to see some of the work that goes on behind the scenes in museums brought out for all to see.
Seeing a video like this makes me marvel at what interesting creatures us humans are. We develop this amazing technology, the sum of hundreds and thousands of years of development to closely study jewelry from 2500 years ago, analyzing the tools used to make said jewelry. I don't know why but that suddenly struck me as amazing, absurd, inspiring all at the same time.
Amazing craftsmanship have been fascinated with this culture for a long time..
The armlets look like theyre norse while that golden circle with the face almost looked japanese. I know theyre not but if you didnt know.
acquire spectra… acquire an image… the British Museum is simply the best at acquiring stuff… other people's stuff… as in, we didn't nick it, we acquired it… ha ha
How did people learn this craft? It looks like master craftsmanship. It’s not like you have chunks of gold laying around as a kid and figure out you’re great at working it into intricate designs.
God her work is beautiful. Just like her.
English royalty speaks like a computer that has a virus. Amazing that the derived royal accent has spread to all people of the realm, even the nerds speak like a geeky princess.
You really don't need any fancy equipment, for the most part, to determine goldsmithing techniques. It is really nice to see these objects, which are quite well known to the art world, in detail, but as a goldsmith, I could pretty easily discern the methods of manufacture by just examining these objects with my eyes.
"The radiant pigs are not physical food; they are spiritual food."
[The Masks of God:Primitive Mythology, Joseph Campbell, 1958, Ch. 10: Mythological Threshold of the Neolithic , Sec. 3: The Great Diffusion; The Northeastward Diffusion, p. 446]
"For the Sun is in all hunting mythologies a great hunter. He is the lion whose roar scatters the herds, whose pounce at the neck of the Antelope slays it; the great Eagle whose plunge traps the lamb; he is the luminous orb whose rays at dawn scatter the heard of the night sky, the Stars. One sees that evidence of this primitive hunting myth in the motif, so common and Paleolithic art, of the lion pouncing on the neck of the Antelope that has just turned its head to look behind it, as well as in that other motif, which is one of the first two appear in ancient Sumerian art, of the solar Eagle, clutching an Antelope and each claw.
This lesson reads, by analogy: the Sun is the hunter, the sun's rays is the arrow, the Antelope is one of the heard of the stars; ergo, as tomorrow night will see the star return, so will tomorrow the Antelope. Nor has the hunter killed the Beast as a personal, willful act, but according to the provisions of the Great Spirit. And in this way "nothing is lost.""
[The Masks of God:Primitive Mythology, Joseph Campbell, 1958, Ch. 7: The Animal Master, Sec. 3: The Ritual of the Returned Blood, p. 297-98]
Even the mighty Roman Empire never really conquered the Scythians! And their warriors were employed by many kings…Admirable people!
With a scanning electron 3D printer, they could make exact copies. 🤔
Anyone ever hear of someone finding the shops these gold jewelry were made in?
OMG I LOVE THAT SKIRT WHERE CAN I BUY IT!!!! (Also, you're brilliant. thank you for your brilliance. this video is genuinely fabulous. Sorry to focus on superficial stuff – I just really want to wear that skirt personally.)
Wow, what a costly and time consuming effort for no productive reason, interest or use to anyone.
Why is this national treasure in a London museum?
Wow, cool. I wish I had a job like that.
An impressive display of the tools available to today's researchers.
You could probably identify where the metals come from by the ratios of different elements.
I believe this is indeed possible and is done. It would have been nice to have such identification included, but that is a wish, not a criticism.
Thanks so much!
So due to Cu and Ag being more prone to oxidation, the colors might have been less gold and more pink or white?
Where does she get those wonderful toys?
Amazing metal working 👌
These are some very beautiful objects. Aude Mongiatti is very lucky to work them so closely. She is also wearing a rather fine bracelet on her arm. I wonder what sort of jewellery an expert in metallurgy chooses for herself ?
Why is this treasure in the British museum??? These Cythians were my ancestors and their treasure surely belongs to their descendants! This treasure should be returned either to Afghanistan or Tajikistan !!!
Not exactly shocking discoveries.
The casting materia depending by,from materia of negativ and the enwironoment when happen a cast!Feri.
Looks like celtic and Germanic artifacts the arm bands are identical to what the celts and vikings used.
"…elements"
"…laser beams"
"…and they're soooo koooool!"