88 



ANALYSIS OF ANTIQUE BRONZES. 



This was done The weapons, instruments, and statues, which have been 

 time! 6 ° ° Ct ^ U £ out °* l ' ie S roua( ^» evidently prove, that the property 

 of tin to impart hardness and density to the metal alloyed 

 with it was known and employed by the most ancient na- 

 tions. All these objects occur of bronze, but none of pure 

 copper. It is astonishing, that this practice of imparting 

 to copper, by alloying it with a certain portion of tin, a 

 hardness sufficient for sword-blades tmd other cutting in- 

 struments, should have been so generally followed by the 

 The tin fetch- ancients, notwithstanding the want of tin mines. All the 

 wall; * tm *^ e y usec * tne > T were obliged to procure from the Cassiter- 



ides, the present Cornwall, and the trade was exclusively in 

 the hands of the Phenicians. 



Having had au opportunity of assaying several fragment* 

 of metallic antiquities, I conceive it may be of some utility 

 to make public the results, as a supplement to the few ac- 

 curate analyses hitherto made. 



The fragments to be analysed, being first weighed, were 

 put into a phial, into which were poured six or eight parts 

 of nitric acid of the specific gravity of 1*22, and digested 

 in a sandheat, till completely dissolved. The contents of 

 the phial were then diluted with a sufficient quantity of wa- 

 ter, and the mixture left to stand, till all the oxide of tin 

 had fallen down, and the azure liquid appeared quite clear. 

 This being poured off, the oxide of tin was collected, 

 washed repeatedly with water, dried, heated redhor, and 

 weighed. It was found, that 100 parts of calcined oxide of 

 tin equalled 80 parts of tin in the metallic state. The ni- 

 tric solution was tested in the usual way for silver, iron, 

 lead, and zinc. When it was found free from these metals, 

 as in all the following inquiries it proved, it Was easy to cal- 

 culate, by deducting the quantity of tin found, the pro- 

 portion of copper, which was likewise obtained by the com- 

 mon methods. 



Various anti- 

 quities ana- 

 lysed. 



Mode of ana- 

 lyse*. 



1. Analysis of an antique sword. 



An antique In a collection of antiquities at Berlin, found on digging 



C(i into some ancient graves in the march of Brandenburg, 



among several articles of bronze, as spear-heads, knives, 



©rnamente, &c., are two swords ; but the place where they 



were 



