X-ray fluorescence analysis of archaeological finds and art objects: Recognizing gold and gilding

Many cultural heritage objects were gilded in the past, and nowadays they can be found in archeological excavations or in historical buildings dating back to the Middle Ages, or from the modern period. Old gilded artifacts have been studied using X-ray fluorescence analysis and 2D microanalysis. Several techniques that enable the user to distinguish gold and gilded objects are described and then applied to investigate artifacts. These techniques differ in instrumentation, data analysis and numbers of measurements. The application of Monte Carlo calculation to a quantitative analysis of gilded objects is also introduced. ► Three techniques of gilding identification with XRF analysis are proposed. ► These techniques are applied to gold and gilded art and archeological objects. ► Composition of a substrate material is determined by a Monte Carlo simulation.