# The Archaeometallurgical Evaluation of Three Bronze Socketed Axes, Discovered in Eastern Romania
## 3 Results and Discussions
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Samples**} & \multicolumn{10}{c}{**Elemental Composition—Weight Percent (\%)**} \\ \cline{2-13}  & **Cu** & **Sn** & **Pb** & **Fe** & **Ag** & **Ni** & **Si** & **Al** & **Ca** & **Mg** & **K** & **O** & **S** & **C** & **P** & **Cl** \\ \hline
**S1-1** & 17.07 & 21.69 & 0.14 & 1.69 & - & - & 1.84 & 0.40 & - & 0.12 & - & 40.61 & 0.15 & 14.30 & 1.34 & 0.63 \\ \hline
**S1-2** & 16.03 & 24.59 & 0.09 & 2.66 & - & - & 3.99 & 1.70 & - & 0.31 & - & 44.37 & 0.13 & 4.93 & 1.07 & 0.13 \\ \hline
**S1-3** & 21.11 & 23.45 & 0.11 & 1.49 & - & - & 1.19 & 0.10 & - & 0.35 & - & 45.25 & 0.07 & 4.88 & 1.91 & 0.09 \\ \hline
**S2-1** & 64.59 & 3.11 & 0.14 & 1.71 & - & 1.38 & 0.01 & 0.01 & - & 0.04 & - & 26.51 & 0.01 & 2.34 & 0.15 & - \\ \hline
**S2-2** & 23.39 & - & - & 14.23 & - & - & 0.45 & 0.23 & 0.75 & - & 0.47 & 42.71 & 0.27 & 17.00 & 0.17 & 0.33 \\ \hline
**S2-3** & 68.43 & 1.57 & 0.14 & 0.83 & - & 1.36 & 0.02 & 0.03 & - & - & - & 25.69 & 0.02 & 1.89 & 0.02 & - \\ \hline
**S3-1** & 32.31 & 17.38 & 1.09 & 0.72 & - & - & 1.98 & 0.52 & - & 0.67 & - & 37.30 & - & 6.35 & 1.30 & 0.38 \\ \hline
**S3-2A** & 34.99 & 11.07 & 1.09 & - & 5.65 & - & 0.82 & 0.09 & - & 0.72 & - & 39.75 & 0.66 & 4.61 & 0.55 & - \\ \hline
**S3-2B** & 46.17 & 11.81 & 0.49 & - & - & - & 0.91 & 0.02 & - & 0.40 & - & 36.44 & 0.02 & 3.17 & 0.57 & - \\ \hline
**S3-3A** & 33.35 & 16.48 & 0.29 & - & 4.44 & - & 1.14 & 0.14 & - & 0.78 & - & 40.12 & 0.43 & 1.87 & 0.96 & - \\ \hline
**S3-3B** & 9.24 & - & - & - & 35.41 & - & 0.42 & 0.09 & - & 0.31 & - & 28.28 & 4.63 & 21.62 & - & - \\ \hline
**S3-3C** & 36.12 & 12.95 & 1.15 & - & - & - & 1.44 & 0.27 & - & 0.89 & - & 40.59 & - & 3.55 & 1.09 & - \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Chemical composition of the surface structures for socketed axes A (S1), B (S2) and C (S3). The chemical composition of socketed axe B indicates the presence of Cu (91.29%), Sn (1.14%,) Pb (0.66%) Fe (2.32%), O and Ni (1.00%), and socketed axe C have 88.22% Cu, 5.76% Sn, 1.21% Pb, 1.01% Ni and 3.80% O. The correlation between the data obtained for the three socketed axes indicates that they come from different production areas and the raw materials are, most likely, from different sources. Their manufacturing technologies are close (making the alloy by smelting ones, pouring into bivalve moulds, finishing, ornamentation through polishing and/or gilding), with socketed axe C being special because it was ornamented by silvering. From an archaeological point of view, this is a very important aspect that illustrates the function of the artifact, namely the prestigious one. This aspect is also supported by the lack of traces of use wear on the surface of the artifact, but which are present in socketed axes A and B. The three socketed axes also differ constructively and functionally, in terms of ornamentation and size, and in terms of conservation status; they can be discussed in relation to the composition of the base alloy, the aggressiveness of the site, the age of the artifact and the depositional period. Based on the results obtained, it can be emphasized that the corrosion products were formed by redox, acido-basic and complexation reactions, which have an important role in hydric processes (hydration/drying). These occurred at the surface of the alloy and in the fixing orifices. Over time, due to cyclic variations in humidity and temperature, corrosion layers or crusts have undergone contraction, segregation and diffusion processes. These processes have been accelerated by the differences in chemical load of the groundwater and the presence of hydrogel coatings of Sn (II), Pb (II) and Fe (II), whose instability did not lead to the Liesegang phenomenon (this phenomenon is characterized by the appearance of concentric formations of corrosion products resulting from structural reform) [10; 11; 13; 15; 27; 39] but to coarse structures similar to crusts and moles [6; 7], with uneven distributions.