Periodic corrosion phenomena in bronze antiquities

Investigations into the structure of some ancient bronze artifacts revealed periodic corrosion product formation. Examination by reflected polarized light microscopy suggested that information concerning the banding observable in these objects could be used to support the hypothesis that Liesegang phenomena were responsible for the periodicity of corrosion product formation. Some analytical data for the bronze fragments were obtained by electron probe microanalysis, using both spot analyses and elemental line scan traverse across the polished sections of the fragments under study.