Naipes, Standardized Middle Sicn (ca.

CE 1000) Sheetmetal Objects:

New Insights from SEM-EDXS and Metallographic Analyses

Branden Cesare Rizzuto

University of Toronto

INTRODUCTION RESULTS
Located within the Batn Grande region of Peru (Fig. 1) and famous for its East Tomb the most
sumptuous Sicn tomb discovered to date the Middle Sicn (900 1100 CE) site of Huaca Loro has
archaeologically produced thousands of metal alloy products composed of arsenic bronze and precious
metals (Shimada and Griffin 2005; Shimada et al. 2000). Like many other Middle Sicn tombs, the cache
of metal alloy products excavated from the East Tomb included naipes I-shaped, standardized artifacts
fashioned out of patiently hammered arsenic copper alloy sheets (Fig. 2; Shimada and Merkel 2014)
bound together by string fibers in approximately 1500 bundles each containing ten naipes per bundle
(Merkel et al. 1995). The sheer ubiquity of naipes in various Middle Sicn contexts suggests that Fig. 5 Back-scattered electron images from naipes M8d (left) and Fig. 6 Optical microscope images of naipes M8d (left) and M99a
analytical studies of naipes have the potential to shed significant insight into the organization and social M99e (right). SEM-EDXS analysis identified sound metal in 24 of (right). Chemical etching was employed following that suggested by
relations (e,g., Costin 2001; Costin and Wright 1998) of Middle Sicn arsenic bronze production, as well the 31 naipes analysed with an inclusionary phase composed of Scott (1991, p. 69-74). The metallic microstructures of the sound
differing ratios of As, Bi, Sb, O, and Pb (right) in all 24 naipes, and metal in all of the naipes analysed are characterized by equi-axed
as larger Sicn value systems surrounding metal alloys. The following study aims to add to the corpus of silver stringers (left) in the naipes of bundles M8 and M97 (photos hexagonal grains, annealing twins, slip lines, and elongated pores
analytical studies conducted on naipes through archaeometric and metallographic analyses of naipes by author) (photos by author)
excavated from the East Tomb of Huaca Loro, Peru.
Fig. 1 Geographical
map of the north coast
of Peru depicting the
location of several
major archaeological
sites. HPBG refers to
Huaca del Pueblo
Batn Grande. The
Sicn also known as
the Lambayeque
Culture inhabited
the inter-river coastal
valleys of present-day
northern Peru from
the 8th/9th to 14th
centuries CE (after
Shimada and Craig
2013)
Fig. 2 Naipes of various sizes recovered from several
Middle Sicn sites. To date, a total of six standardized
sizes have been identified (after Shimada and Merkel
2014) Fig. 7 Arsenic contents by weight in each of the 24 naipes with Fig. 8 PCA biplot for the elemental compositions of the
sound metal as determined by SEM-EDXS analysis. Results shown inclusionary phases in naipe bundle M8 after normalization and log
are normalized. Error bars represent the standard deviation of the transformation of the data. The data suggests that the naipes in bundle
mean. M8 were fabricated from at least two separate production events

OBJECTIVES
(1) How were naipes produced and from what materials, and to what degree were standardization
practices utilized in their production?
(2) On what criteria were naipes selected to be arranged in bundles (i.e. by material and/or
morphological characteristics? As a result of individual production events? Randomly?)
(3) What can be inferred from the analytical data with regards to social meanings and Middle Sicn
value systems, technological choices, and the organization and social relations of Middle Sicn arsenic
bronze production?
SAMPLES
A total of thirty-one naipes were received from J. Merkel: three naipe bundles containing ten naipes each;
labelled as M8, M97, and M99, and one stand-alone naipe; labelled as M9, all of which excavated from
the Huaca Loro East Tomb (Fig. 3).
CONCLUSIONS
Fig. 7 demonstrates that the intra-bundle variation in arsenic content of naipes is significantly less than
that of the inter-bundle variation, suggesting that naipes were intentionally bundled on the basis of their
arsenic content (see Merkel et al. 1995). Principal component analysis of the EDXS data taken from the
inclusionary phases in the naipes analyzed demonstrate that the naipes in a given bundle correspond to
multiple clusters suggesting that naipes in a given bundle were fabricated in separate production events
and assembled afterwards (Fig. 8). Additionally, the results demonstrate that naipe bundles M8 and M97
are both morphologically and chemically distinct from that of naipe bundle M99 (As content, presence
vs. absence of silver stringers, size, etc.), further suggesting that the latter was produced using different
raw materials and production methods, though the metallographic analyses demonstrate that all naipes
were produced using some form of hammering and annealing practices. These differences may be
attributed to distinct production units/groups with unique standardization practices, though further
analyses are required to validate this hypothesis and to shed further light on the organization and social
relations of Middle Sicn naipe production.

Fig. 3 Naipe bundles M8 (far-left) and M99 (left-of-center) were received in the form of cross-sections mounted in epoxy resin blocks, as
was naipe M9 (far-right; original naipe depicted). Naipe bundle M97 (right-of-center) was received in its original form as excavated (photos
by author)
METHODS
Prior to analysis, naipe bundle M97 was cross-sectioned and mounted in an epoxy resin block, with all
four epoxy resin blocks subsequently polished to a 1 micron grade using diamond pastes. SEM-EDXS
analyses were conducted at the UCL Institute of Archaeology Wolfson Laboratories using a Philips XL 30
scanning electron microscope fitted with an Oxford Instruments INCA energy dispersive X-ray
spectrometer and back-scattered electron detector (Fig. 4). Optical microscopy was performed under
reflected polarized light using the Wolfson Laboratories Leica DM4500 P LED optical microscope.
REFERENCES
Costin, C. (2001) Craft Production Systems. In: G.M. Feinman & T.D. Price (ed.). Archaeology at the
Millennium: A Sourcebook. New York, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. pp. 273-327.
Costin, C. & Wright, R. (1998) Social Relations of Technology. Washington, D.C., American
Anthropological Association.
Merkel, J., Seruya, A., Griffiths, D. & Shimada, I. (1995) Metallography and Microanalysis of Precious
Metal Objects from the Middle Sicn Elite Tombs at Batn Grande, Peru. MRS Proc. 352.
Scott, D. (1991) Metallography and microstructure of ancient and historic metals. Marina del Rey, CA,
Getty Conservation Institute in association with Archetype Books.
Shimada, I. & Craig, A. (2013) The Style, Technology and Organization of Sicn Mining and Metallurgy,
Northern Peru: Insights from Holistic Study. Chungar (Arica). 45(1), 3-31.
Shimada, I., Gordus, A. & Griffin, J. (2000) Technology, iconography, and significance of metals: A
multi-dimensional analysis of Middle Sicn objects. In: C McEwan (ed.). Pre-Columbian Gold:
Technology, Iconography, and Style. London, British Museum Press. pp. 28-61.
Shimada, I. & Griffin, J. (2005) Precious Metal Objects of the Middle Sicn. Sci Am. 15(1), 80-89.
Shimada, I. & Merkel, J. (2014) Naipes of Northern Peru: Functions and Significance of Middle Sicn
Standardized Sheetmetal Artifacts. Unpublished Manuscript.

Fig. 4 Back-scattered electron images from ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

naipe M99a highlighting the differing data
acquisition methods for SEM-EDXS analysis of The author thanks John Merkel and Marcos Martinn-Torres for their supervision of the
major and inclusionary chemical phases. All
EDXS measurements were obtained using a 20
dissertation research. The author also thanks Izumi Shimada for allowing the author to
kV beam current, 10.0 mm working distance, carry out the analyses presented in this study on the archaeological materials excavated
and 100 second acquisition time. Analysis of a by the Proyecto Arqueolgico Sicn under his direction. Additionally, the author thanks
certified reference standard (BCR-691 C; n = 7)
containing 4.6wt% As in a Cu matrix all of the students and faculty of the UCL Institute of Archaeology Material Culture and
demonstrated the instrumental method to have a Archaeological Sciences group for their advice and technical expertise. Lastly, the author
relative accuracy of +/-7% and relative precision
of +/-10% for measuring As in Cu at this
would like to thank his program colleagues for enriching the experience of the MSc.
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN 2015

www.PosterPresentations.com
magnitude (photos by author) program and research in general.