Silver from Ur of Ancient Mesopotamia.
Silver jewelry from the Royal Tombs of Ur, about 2500 B.C., compares favorably in purity with present-day sterling, and it also met specifications recorded in cuneiform literatutre of a later period for similar objects. The original chemical composition has been greatly modified by corrosion, calcification, and chlorination. The source and diffusion of various elements detected were traced to study the original composition.
Mellichamp
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Levey
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