Table 2 Elemental composition of gold artefacts found in Xigoupan M2

From: China and the steppe: technological study of precious metalwork from Xigoupan Tomb 2 (4th–3rd c. BCE) in the Ordos region, Inner Mongolia

Sample

Object

Spot

Metal Elements (wt%)

No

Au

Ag

Cu

XGP 1769.7

Gold plaque with reclining horses

Front

①

85.7

14.3

–

②

81.3

18.7

–

③

89.2

10.8

–

④

91.0

9.0

–

Average

86.8

13.2

–

Back

①

81.1

18.9

–

②

81.8

18.2

–

③

81.5

18.5

–

④

85.0

15.0

–

Average

82.3

17.7

–

XGP 1770.8

Gold appliqué with deer

Front

①

79.6

18.9

1.5

②

83.2

15.5

1.3

③

82.7

15.9

1.4

Average

81.8

16.8

1.4

Back

①

78.1

20.6

1.3

②

79.5

19.1

1.4

③

78.4

19.7

1.9

Average

78.7

19.8

1.5

XGP 1776.14

Gold appliqué with beasts facing one another

Front

①

91.0

9.0

–

②

89.9

10.1

–

③

88.4

11.6

–

④

89.0

11.0

–

⑤

88.6

11.4

–

⑥

88.8

11.2

–

Average

89.3

10.7

–

Back

①

88.3

11.7

–

②

90.5

9.5

–

③

91.2

8.8

–

④

89.5

10.5

–

Average

89.9

10.1

 

XGP 1785.23

Gold appliqué with a standing eagle

Front

①

90.1

9.9

–

②

90.9

9.1

–

③

90.6

9.5

–

④

88.2

11.8

–

⑤

89.8

10.2

–

Average

89.2

10.8

 

Back

①

86.4

12.6

1.0

②

90.4

9.6

–

③

93.2

6.0

0.8

④

89.3

10.7

–

⑤

90.9

9.1

–

Average

90.0

9.6

0.4

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