Abstract:
A study of the composition and phase distribution of the corrosion layers on three ferrous
objects, excavated at K2 (Bambandyanalo), an archaeological site in South Africa, was
conducted. The objective of the study was to obtain information that can contribute to
conservation procedures to be performed on the iron artefacts from this site. Examination of
cross sections by means of SEM-EDS, XRD and micro-Raman spectroscopy revealed the
same corrosion composition and structure for all the objects under study, namely an internal
layer adjacent to the metal surface with ghost inclusions and an external layer containing
quartz grains. The study also revealed that the presence of magnetite (Fe3O4), maghemite
(γFe2O3) and lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) within the internal layer is the only difference
between the chemical compositions of iron corrosion products within the two layers. The
results also made it possible to retrace the corrosion history during burial and long term
storage.
