Touchstones in graves from the Avar and Great Moravian periods

Abstract

Using electron microscopy, the authors have uncovered traces of non-ferrous metals, including precious metals, on selected stone artefacts from the Avar and Great Moravian periods graves (7th-10th centuries). The finds, originally identified as whetstones, served in fact as touchstones – tools to test the quality of a particular metal. The authors interpret touchstones in early medieval graves as a sign of the buried individual’s access to precious metals. In addition to questions of social stratification of the early medieval society, touchstones open a wide field for archaeometallurgy: the chemical microanalysis allows the identification of the composition of the alloys, which are discussed in the paper.