Archaeometric and numismatic investigations of the concave gold coins of Byzantine era in Diyarbakir Museum

When we look at the mining history of Anatolia, many stages of development stand out. In prehistoric times, it was mainly used to collect mines as colored minerals and used them for making paint materials and beads. During the periods when the pottery was not known yet, the copper found in some mineral deposits near the surface was also collected and used in the production of small objects. The use of mines in art and tool making has also changed the course of history. The establishment of many empires and strengthening the source of the use of mines in various areas has been effective in spreading. The increase in the diversity of the mines used is also an indication of the construction of rich civilizations. It is the Romans who have the ability to spread from these empires to Europe and Asia. The Roman Empire with its extension Byzantine, which built a rich civilization, left behind important materials. It is possible to witness the traces of the civilization created by the Byzantine Empire in archaeological artifacts. Especially coins allow the chronological traces of this culture and civilization to be easily followed. In this respect, the aim of this thesis is to examine the concave gold coins within the framework of archaeometry and numismatic science. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition of Byzantine concave gold coins analyzed in the scope of the thesis. The chemical compositions to be obtained constitute the basic data for the comparison of the chemical compositions of the concave golden coins of the Byzantine Period and that will be bought to museums in the future whose authenticity is suspected. It also shed light on the period in which they were produced with parameters such as form, design, purpose of use, whether there were ornaments and figures on them. In this context, important information has been obtained (on metal) about the production technologies of the past civilizations and their relations between the archaeometry and the numismatics which gives a new dimension to the archaeological excavations in Anatolia. According to the results of this study, the gold ratio of concave golden coins, which was around 75% in 1059, decreased to 56 % because of inflation and wars occurred in 1078. It has been found that the cheaper and more common silver mine is replaced by the decreasing gold content of the concave coins.