Comparative micro-XRF study of objects from the Hungarian conquest period of Hajdú-Bihar County, Hungary

Abstract In recent years, material composition analysis has become increasingly important in evaluating finds from the Hungarian Conquest period in the Carpathian Basin. As a result, compositional data for around 300 items is now available, primarily in Hungarian-language publications. Our goal is to introduce this field to an international audience. Previous studies focused on individual graves, cemeteries, or sites. During the preparation of a summary volume on Hajdú-Bihar County finds, the idea of compiling results in a database and supplementing them with additional measurements emerged. In order to have representative results from the entire area, artefacts from various micro-regions were selected for analysis. Surface images were captured with a 3D microscope, and elemental composition was analyzed using a micro-XRF instrument. The research found a correlation between the function of the artefacts and their elemental composition, supporting traditional classifications.