NEUTRON RESONANCE CAPTURE ANALYSIS OF SOME GENUINE AND FAKE ETRUSCAN COPPER ALLOY STATUETTES*

The probability of nuclei capturing neutrons reveals sharp peaks, so‐called ‘resonances’, which occur at neutron energies that are specific for each element. These resonances are very suitable for analysing the elemental composition of objects. They are the basis of a new analytical method, ‘neutron resonance capture analysis’ (NRCA). This is a fully non‐destructive method, which is applicable to almost all stable isotopes, determines the bulk elemental composition, does not require any sample preparation and results in a negligible residual activity. Recently, NRCA has been applied in a study of a series of bronze statuettes, obtained from the National Museum of Antiquity in Leiden (NL).