Scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) are using X-ray tomography to gain a better understanding about two artifacts related to the historic Coronado expedition.

The Coronado Historic Site in Bernalillo was given a grant to use the technology that LANL has at its disposal, so the site sent two New Mexico state artifacts that are linked to the Coronado expedition, a recent KOB 4 news report said.

The X-ray techniques were able to identify the alloys and minerals the artifacts are composed of as well as the mix of the materials.

"So the two artifacts that we investigated were a copper pendant that had two settings, one on the front and back," Steven Young, LANL materials scientist, told KOB 4. "They were composed of a glass mineral and the second was a quarrel which was also copper which provides evidence of the presence of Coronado and his expedition at the location that they were discovered."

The X-ray technology allows LANL researchers to scan the objects without damaging them.  

"X-ray tomography allows us to take a full 3D image of the sample where we can see inside of it and see the lead that was contained within it or any voyage or things like that that might be contained by the object," Brian M. Patterson, LANL materials scientist, told KOB 4.