New analyses concerning gilding techniques in the younger Hallstatt period

Abstract

An on going French-German research project focuses on gold items from the Hallstatt period north-west of the Alps. Stylistic and technological investigations combined with modern analytical methods offer new information about gold smithing techniques during the later Hallstatt period. Techniques used to gild other metals are of particular interest, because they can indicate connections between cultures, even on non-descript items. Traditional foil gilding by mechanical processes was still in use during the early Iron Age, but a new technique – diffusion gilding on silver – was also introduced, which can be seen on several examples. Diffusion gilding is characterised by thin gold bonding layers, which are visible through metallographic analysis.