332 Proceedings - XV. International Numismatic Congress Taormina 2015 1. Introduction An interdisciplinary program to study the alloy com- position of warfare Scythian-design arrowheads (trilo- bates or dilobates, sometimes with thorn, Fig. 1) and monetary arrowhead-shaped signs (Fig. 2) issued by Greek colony Histria (VI th Century BC) found together in some deposits from Dobroudja (Tariverde, Cogealac, Golovita, Sinoie Zmeica, Floriile) was performed using XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) and micro-PIXE (Proton Induced X-ray Emission) methods. Some wheel money coins (Fig. 3) later issued by Histria (V th Century BC) were also investigated. During VII-VI th Centuries BC, Dobroudja was the cra- dle of direct participation of its people - Greek colonists and “Barbarians” (Scythians, Getae, Thracians) - to a wide-ranging trade, economic and cultural relationships which are emblematic in the Black Sea region. Histria, located on the west coast of the Black Sea just south of the Danube delta, was a Milesian colony founded in the mid-VII th Century BC, although the area had been settled earlier by the Getai 1 . The city fourished as a result of its trade in wine, oils and other Greek goods with tribes located far within central Europe, although the city was sacked by Scythian raiders near the end of the VI th Cen- tury BC 2 . As with many other cities in the region, Histria began issuing a “coinage” of cast bronze arrowheads in the VI th Century BC 3 . By the end of the VI th Century BC, these were totally replaced by another cast coinage of bronze ‘wheels’ or ‘solar disks’. Shortly thereafter, the city developed a precious metal coinage in silver, with a novel obverse type, featuring two facing heads tête- bêche, while the reverse features a sea-eagle-on-dolphin motif 4 . Monetary “arrowheads” signs provide additional data on certain economic, social and political phenomena for this geographical area. Istros-Histria was often cited as a major issuer of such signs with monetary value, and their production was considered the frst stage of city’s * Horia Hulubei National Institute for Nuclear Physics and En- gineering, P.O.Box MG-6, RO-077125, Bucharest-Magurele, Romania. ** National History and Archaeology Museum, Constanta, Romania. *** Università di Padova, Dip. Di Fisica “G. Galilei” and INFN, Labo- ratori Nazionali di Legnaro,I- 35020 Legnaro (Padova), Italy. 1 Coja 1970, pp. 99-122; Alexandrescu 1974, pp. 212-213; Buzoianu 2001, pp. 110, 233, 236, 252. 2 Alexandrescu 1986, p. 28; Alexandrescu 2005, pp. 93-94. 3 Preda 1998, p. 37; Poenauru Bordea 2001, p. 9; Talmatchi 2010, pp. 58-60. 4 Talmatchi 2011a, p. 93. Bogdan Constantinescu * , Daniela Cristea-Stan * , Gabriel Mircea Talmatchi ** , Daniele Ceccato *** New information on monetary arrowheads found in Dobroudja based on X-rays analysis of their alloy composition Fig. 1 Warfare Scythian design arrowheads: the scale (1:1) is the same for all the samples. Fig. 2 Monetary signs type “arrowheads”: the scale (1:1) is the same for all the samples. Fig. 3 Wheel money coins issued by Histria (V th Cen- tury BC): the scale (3:1) is the same for all the samples.