Speaker
Pankaj Tandon
(Boston University )
Description
The paper studies the metrology of Gupta gold coins using XRF analysis. Kumar (Treasures of the Gupta Empire) had studied the gold content of 179 Gupta gold coins using this methodology. However, his attributions have been challenged and seem unsupportable. This paper looks at Kumar's data using the corrected attributions and then extends the dataset by performing XRF testing on a new batch of 159 Gupta and 4 Hun gold coins. What the analysis means for the proper attribution of Gupta coins is examined. In particular, I will examine what the metrology implies for the reattributions I proposed (on the basis of weights and styles) in my NC 2020 paper. The implications for Gupta monetary policy are also explored.
Primary author
Pankaj Tandon
(Boston University )
