Abstract. The S K-and L-edge x-ray absorption nearedge structures (XANES) of low bornite, cubanite, chalcocite, covellite, enargite and tetrahedrite have been measured with synchrotron radiation. The near-edge features are interpreted based on comparison with the S K-and L-edge spectra of chalcopyrite and a MO/energy band structure model. The XANES spectra of these sulfides reflect the DOS of unoccupied S s-, p-and d-like states near and above the Fermi level. In tetrahedral Cu-Fe sulfides, the Fe 3+ 3d crystal field band has much more significant DOS of unoccupied S 3p-and 3 s-like states than the Cu § 3d crystal field band. For Cu sulfides, the Cu § 3d crystal field band has the higher DOS of S 3p-and 3 s-like states in tetrahedral structure than in structures with the triangular CuS3 cluster. The shifts in both S K-and L-edges correlate approximately linearly with the energy gap.