Metallographic, XRF and SEM/EDS analyses of probable roman surgical instruments

The study of ancient surgical instruments during the past was not very thorough. Scientific attention in relation to this particular category of products, was founded only in coincidence of exceptional findings in the Vesuvius area in the mid-eighteenth century. From then on, the interest in this kind of artefacts was based essentially on an archaeological/stylistic study and almost never addressed the executing practices and materials used. The work concerns the study of ten probable ancient surgical instruments using non-invasive and micro invasive diagnostic techniques. In this context, no samples were withdrawn and all investigations have been carried out directly on the pieces respecting their integrity. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was used for the elemental analysis of the components of the alloy and of the patina; metallographic analysis was attempted to understand the executing techniques, and finally the SEM analysis was useful to recognize the morphology and any traces of processing