304 REPORTS ON THE STATE OF SCIENCE, ETC. 
Osten, Field Director of the excavations of the Oriental Institute of Chicago, 
at Alishar Héyiik, in Anatolia. The analyses, so far as completed, are 
included in the table. 
An Egyptian razor of the Fourth Dynasty was received from Sir Robert 
Mond. This thin razor, in very perfect preservation, had all the appearance 
of being of copper, but the analysis showed it to be atrue bronze. Determina- 
tions of hardness showed that the edge had been hardened by severe 
hammering. Analysis :— 
Copper, 88:5. Tin, 8-5. Iron, 1:8. Lead, 0-3. Nickel, o-or. 
A little slaggy matter was present. 
Mention may be made of a few analyses published elsewhere. Dr. C. F. 
Elam has examined five objects from Mr. Woolley’s finds at Ur (F. Inst. Met., 
1932, 48, 97) and found two objects from the earliest levels to be true bronzes, 
whilst the later specimens contain either no tin, or a small and variable 
quantity. This is in accordance with our own observations. The nickel 
content recorded is mostly higher than that found by us, but is of the same 
order. Sir Harold Carpenter has examined an Egyptian axe head of early 
Dynastic age, this being a large object, weighing over three pounds, 
Analysis (Nature, 22 Oct., 1932) :— 
Copper, 97°35. Nickel, 1:28. Arsenic, 0:49. 
Lead, 0°17. Tron, 0:15. Manganese, 0-06. 
The remainder being oxygen. Manganese is known to be associated with 
copper in Egyptian ores. 
In the table which follows, the highly oxidised specimens have not been 
re-calculated, the reason being that the amount of earthy matter present is 
sometimes so large as to make it uncertain whether some of its components 
are to be attributed to the metal, whilst other specimens contain sulphur, 
derived from the ore, and present in the metal as sulphide. This sulphur 
has not been determined, but its presence is noted. In view of the high 
proportion of sulphur in many of the objects from Mohenjo-daro in the 
Fourth Report, specimens of the soil were obtained from Mr. Mackay, 
with the object of determining whether this sulphur was derived from the 
soil. ‘Two samples were received, labelled ‘' Top of mound ’ and ‘ Lowest 
levels ’ respectively. Neither contained any sulphide, and the total quantity 
of sulphate in the lower layer was only 0-16 per cent., that in the upper 
layer being 1°92 per cent. The sulphur found in the specimens had, 
therefore, come from the ore. In the case of the Tell Asmar specimens, 
a core of uncorroded metal is: sometimes present, in which sulphide may 
be detected under the microscope. It does not follow that the pyritic ores 
were deliberately smelted ; it may have been that the outcrop ores were 
more or less contaminated by sulphides. 
Tell Asmar, Pre-Sar- Ar- 
gonid hoard. Copper. Tin. Nickel. senic. Lead. Iron. 
Bronze dagger . 1080 88:61 7°60 0°67 trace 0:94 0°46* 
Vase . 4 . 105t 85-51 Oo 0°02, 0°05 0°36) 5 — 
Vase . : » 1085 85°53 0 0:07 07°06 0:99. — 
Tell Asmar, Akkadian. 
Lump oringot . 764 Q5°OI 0 0'62 0°25 Oo — ft 
Implement . Sige Meera <o 0°13 0°67 ‘i 
Wire bangle . . 1239 93:96 o O'II ovr! 
Arrow butt . f 559 87°48 0°74 0°32 1°57 
* Some oxide. + Much sulphur. 
