The Laboratoire de Recherche des Musées de France has tested the applicability of the scanning electron microscope with x-ray analysis facilities in the study of ancient gold artifacts, and particularly the joining processes. Three types of joining methods are known to have been used in ancient times: sintering, brazing with Au-Ag-Cu alloys and copper salt binding. X-ray distribution maps of selected elements on very small areas show clearly the different processes used in the manufacture of Oriental and Iron Age artifacts. -- AATA