Archaeological analysis of the Elymais coins in the interval (85BC-AD224), with a political and economic approach, based on elemental analysis of coins: PIXE spectroscopy

The Elymais, as a semi-autonomous and sometimes autonomous satrap, had a special place in southwestern, western, and southern Iran at the same time as the Seleucids and Parthians. Most of the Parthian monuments are located in the Elymais geographical region and many of the traditions that were manifested during the Sassanid period have been the main achievements of Elymais culture. Despite the wide range of artifacts identified during this period, many aspects of the Elymais rule are still unknown. Coins as useful and index data in archaeology, due to their durability and frequency, by studying motifs and texts, provide valuable information about different periods. In addition, the use of laboratory science on these findings provides useful supplementary information for researchers. In this article, a collection of bronze and silver coins belonging to the Elymais period were studied by the PIXE method, in order to answer the questions about the concentration or purity, the number of mines, the number of mints on these coins, and the appearance of these compounds in understanding the economic and political structure of the period. To achieve these purposes, 35 coins from the Elymais were analyzed. These coins ranged from 85 BC to the early third century AD. The results showed that the analyzed coins were minted in six mints and their raw material was different from the three mines. On the other hand, the ratio of the percentage of the main elements of coins in the three Elymais periods are different and the decreasing trend of silver and copper percentages and the increasing trend of lead percentage in the analyzed coins indicate a better coin minting situation in the first Elymais period than the second and third periods, and the better political and economic situation of the kings of this period; In addition, the domination of the Elymais over Susa had a direct effect on the purity and better quality of their coins