In this paper the elemental composition of a XVII-XVIII century terracotta slab, preserved in the Gerhard Rohlfs Museum of the Calabrian Greek Language of Bova, Reggio Calabria, Southern Italy, was investigated through the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopic technique. The investigation allowed us to detect elements closely related to the manufacture of the slab. In addition, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) statistical method was applied to experimental data in order to recognize the provenance of the artefact through a comparison with local clay materials collected from historical buildings of Bova.

An archaeometric investigation on 13 late–medieval tournois was here accomplished through a combined approach involving X–ray fluorescence (XRF) and Raman techniques. The aim of this study was to determine, starting from the evaluation of the elemental and molecular composition, the raw materials employed for the coin’s alloy and highlight the differences in the coin’s composition according to the location of the original mint and estimated coinage age. The aforementioned aspects not only testify the monetary policy and the political condition of the time, but also would contribute to unambiguously recognize the coin’s original treasury, which is at present an ongoing controversy among the scientific/numismatic community. Finally, the identification of specific minerals by means of Raman spectroscopy allowed us to formulate hypothesis about the state of conservation, and to identify new phases resulting from the soil/burial and climatic environmental coin’s exposition.