AUTHENTICATION AND CONSERVATION OF SELECTED METAL OBJECTS EXCAVATED FROM AL-SEREIN, NEAR MAKKAH, SAUDI ARABIA

This study aims to authenticate and to conserve some selected metal objects excavated from Al-Serein archaeological site, near Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The selected metal objects include rings, bracelets, fishing poles and coins. To success in developing and establishing conservation processes for these metal objects, scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) attached with energy- dispersive x-ray analyzer (EDAX) was used to identify and analyze the corrosion products on these metal objects. For conservation of the coins it was necessary to remove the soiled deposits, encrustations, and corrosion layers covering the coins completely. For the other metal objects, rings, bracelets and fishing poles it was necessary to remove the soiled deposits, encrustations, and corrosion layers covering them with keeping the antiquities colors on the objects. In this study various cleaning methods within various conditions were used for cleaning the current metal objects according to their conditions and the aim of their cleaning. Mechanical cleaning, alkaline Rochelle salt, and alkaline dithionite reduction techniques were used in cleaning of the selected metal objects. To evaluate the usefulness of the suggested conservation processes used in this study for cleaning the metal objects before, and after the cleaning processes were investigated by SEM with EDAX technique. The results have shown the effectiveness of the methodology. For the coins in the beginning all the corroded coins have to be treated with alkaline Rochelle salt. Then the silver coin was treated with alkaline dithionite reduction technique. Finally, after finishing the treatments, the metal objects should be rinsed, dried and followed by isolation with acrylic polymer. The archaeological study of the decorations and inscriptions confirms that they date back to Ayyubid dynasty 569 to 649 H.D. (1147-1252A.D.). The presence of the name of the Abbasid Caliphate (Al-Musta'sim Billah Abu Ahmed), on the observe of the silver dirham and the name of Ayyubid Sultan (Al-Mansur Abu Bakr) on the reverse confirm that this dirham is date back to 640 to 656 H.D. (1242 – 1258 A.D.). The presence of the name of the Abbasid Caliphate (Al-Nasir li-Din Allah Abu Alabbas), on observe of the copper penny, confirms that this penny, is date back to 575 to 622 H.D. (1180 – 1225 A.D.).