The gold belt buckle from Apahida III (Romania), 5th century AD

This study focuses on the understanding of the elaborate construction of a cloisonné gold belt buckle, found in a princely grave from Apahida, dated to the 5th century AD. Starting from the careful analysis of the object’s proportions and dimensions, a geometrical pattern of the belt plate construction and decoration design is proposed. The intricate composition of this complicated cloisonné adorned object is also illustrated with the exploded view of its structure. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyses of the composition, performed on different elements forming the buckle, led to conclusions regarding the relations between the variation of gold purity and the role played by different elements in the structure of the object. Some sequences of actions from the entire chaîne opératoire are also emphasized. Most likely, there was a certain degree of standardization in the workshops producing these cloisonné objects, and probably the craftsmen had at their disposal large batches of individual constructive elements – cell walls and gems.