Physicists at the JRC Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) have helped unveil the secrets of a Bronze Age sword with neutron beams otherwise used to study materials for nuclear reactors. The work was carried out by a team of European researchers investigating the application of modern scientific methods to cultural heritage objects.
Scientists at the IRMM studied the composition of the Buggenum sword using pulsed neutron beams as part of the European-funded project ANCIENT CHARM. In close collaboration with scientists from the Delft University of Technology, ten scientific institutes and museums collaborated to improve and develop certain neutron-based non-destructive analytical and imaging methods for cultural heritage objects.