TY - JOUR A1 - Cohen, Zina A1 - Hahn, Oliver A1 - Rabin, Ira A1 - Ward, Aengus T1 - Centenary Paper: Of Inks and Scribes: The Composition of a Thirteenth-Century Castilian Manuscript – British Library Res 20787 N2 - This article presents the results of the first scientific analysis of the inks of a thirteenth-century Castilian manuscript – British Library Res 20787, a copy of the Fuero de las leyes. The analysis reveals the fingerprint of the inks used in the codex and points the way to future cross-disciplinary research based on a wider corpus of evidence. KW - Archaeometry KW - Manuscript KW - Colorant KW - Cinnabar PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.3828/bhs.2024.56 SN - 1475-3839 VL - 101 SP - 703 EP - 720 PB - Liverpool University Press AN - OPUS4-61435 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nehring, Grzegorz A1 - Girard, Solène A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Conservation and Technical Evaluation of an Early Medieval Papyrus Codex N2 - In 2005, a team of Polish archaeologists discovered three Coptic codices, two on papyrus and one on parchment, in the rubbish dump of a hermitage at Sheik Abd el-Gurna, Egypt. While the parchment codex and the remains of the bindings of the papyrus ones have been conserved, the text blocks of the papyrus codices were opened and disassembled and after being disinfected remained untouched for nearly 15 years, until the current project started. Currently, all three books are stored in the collection of the Coptic Museum in Cairo. Our team undertook the conservation of and archaeometric research on the papyrus codices. The first of the books contains the Canons of Pseudo-Basil, while the second is an Encomium of St. Pisenthios. Both codices have been palaeographically dated to the seventh-eighth centuries CE. In this paper, we describe our project and present the results of the work carried out on the Canons of Pseudo-Basil. Our work involved photography in transmitted light, measurements of the thickness of the papyrus leaves, and digital microscopy under three-light illumination. These measurements allowed us to determine the types of the inks and characterize the papyrus writing substrate. For conservation, we used a novel method developed in the Egyptian Museum in Berlin that comprises suspending papyrus folios on a translucent, extremely thin Japanese paper inside glass frames without the use of adhesives.In 2005, a team of Polish archaeologists discovered three Coptic codices, two on papyrus and one on parchment, in the rubbish dump of a hermitage at Sheik Abd el-Gurna, Egypt. While the parchment codex and the remains of the bindings of the papyrus ones have been conserved, the text blocks of the papyrus codices were opened and disassembled and after being disinfected remained untouched for nearly 15 years, until the current project started. Currently, all three books are stored in the collection of the Coptic Museum in Cairo. Our team undertook the conservation of and archaeometric research on the papyrus codices. The first of the books contains the Canons of Pseudo-Basil, while the second is an Encomium of St. Pisenthios. Both codices have been palaeographically dated to the seventh-eighth centuries CE. In this paper, we describe our project and present the results of the work carried out on the Canons of Pseudo-Basil. Our work involved photography in transmitted light, measurements of the thickness of the papyrus leaves, and digital microscopy under three-light illumination. These measurements allowed us to determine the types of the inks and characterize the papyrus writing substrate. For conservation, we used a novel method developed in the Egyptian Museum in Berlin that comprises suspending papyrus folios on a translucent, extremely thin Japanese paper inside glass frames without the use of adhesives. KW - Papyrus KW - Codex KW - Conservation KW - Iron gall ink KW - Coptic PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-570998 DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/00393630.2023.2183554 SN - 0039-3630 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Taylor & Francis AN - OPUS4-57099 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nehring, Grzegorz A1 - Gordon, Nehemia A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Distinguishing between seemingly identical inks using scanning μXRF and heat maps N2 - This study will present a new approach to distinguishing writing inks that have the same elemental compositions and visual appearances. The approach is based on displaying the intensity of elemental distributions as heat maps that represent data recorded with a scanning μX-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The heat maps present the data so as to facilitate digitally identifying and distinguishing between inks used to produce, correct, and reink two medieval Torah scrolls. As ritual objects, Torah scrolls had to be written in accordance with exacting standards that evolved over time. This requirement led to successive stages of modifications, sometimes over centuries. Both vitriolic and non-vitriolic inks used to modify Torah scrolls can be visually identical to each other. Furthermore, different non-vitriolic inks usually have an identical elemental composition. The solid material analysis evidence and its presentation as heat maps made it possible to discriminate between original and altered portions of text that in some cases would have been impossible. Our interdisciplinary work brought together conservation, material science, paleog-raphy, and philology to enable the identification of complex stratigraphy in multiple stages of production, correction, and reinking. ©2 0 2 2 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. KW - Spectroscopy KW - Scanning micro-X-ray fluorescence KW - Vitriolic iron-gall inks KW - Non-vitriolic iron-gall inks KW - Heat maps KW - Torah scrolls KW - Scribal corrections PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-557271 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2022.07.007 SN - 1296-2074 VL - 57 SP - 142 EP - 148 PB - Elsevier Masson SAS AN - OPUS4-55727 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grzegorz, Nehring A1 - Krutzsch, M. A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Tuschenanalyse im P 11702 T1 - Ink Analysis in P 11702 N2 - Near-inframed reflectography and imaging X-Ray flourescence analysis reveal that carbon inks of two different compositions were used in the papyrus manuscript Berlin P 11702. in contrast with the writing ink, one of the carbon drawing inks contained a significant addition of iron. This result emphasises the need for routine instrumental ink analysis. KW - Papyrus KW - Ink analysis KW - X-Ray flourescence spectroscopy KW - Near-infrared refelctography PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1515/apf-2021-0026 SN - 1867-1551 VL - 67 IS - 2 SP - 277 EP - 282 PB - De Gruyter AN - OPUS4-53942 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nehring, Grzegorz A1 - Bonnerot, Olivier A1 - Gerhardt, M. A1 - Krutzsch, M. A1 - Rabin, Ira T1 - Looking for the missing link in the evolution of black inks N2 - In the transition from carbon to iron-gall inks, the two documents from the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection in Berlin with shelfmarks P 13500 and P 13501 discussed in this work present an important case. Their inks appear brownish, although they date back to the fourth and third century BCE, when carbon inks are believed to have been commonly if not exclusively used. Using imaging micro-X-ray fluorescence and infrared reflectography, we discovered that the inks in both documents contain a significant amount of copper in addition to carbon. Comparing the extant recipes for black writing inks and the experimental evidence, we suggest that these inks are a transition between the pure carbon and the iron-gall inks. Such inks may have been quite common before the production of iron-gall ink was clearly understood and established. KW - Black writing ink KW - Hellenistic KW - Papyrus KW - XRF imaging KW - NIR imaging PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-523708 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-021-01320-5 VL - 13 IS - 4 SP - Article 71 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-52370 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maltomini, F. A1 - Ghigo, T. A1 - Hahn, Oliver A1 - Rabin, Ira ED - Fournet, J.-L. ED - Kramer, B. ED - Luppe, W. ED - Maehler, H. ED - McGing, B. ED - Poethke, G. ED - Reiter, F. ED - Richter, S. T1 - Florentine papyri under examination: The material study of the inks used at the beginning of the Common Era in the "Family of Kôm Kâssûm" Archive (Hermopolis) N2 - Carbon inks with metallic admixtures are found on some papyri of the 2nd century CE from a family archive in Hermopolis. The great diversity of inks found in a single household within a short period of time suggests that inks were purchased rather than self-made. KW - Carbon ink KW - Iron-gall ink KW - Mixed ink KW - XRF ink analysis KW - Family archives KW - Hermopolis PY - 2021 DO - https://doi.org/10.1515/apf-2021-0010 SN - 0066-6459 SN - 1867-1551 VL - 67 IS - 1 SP - 146 EP - 165 PB - De Gruyter CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-53160 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ghigo, Tea A1 - Rabin, Ira A1 - Buzi, P. T1 - Black Egyptian inks in Late Antiquity: new insights on their manufacture and use N2 - We present here our methodological approach applied to the study of Egyptian inks in Late Antiquity. It is based on an interdisciplinary strategy, bringing together a variety of disciplines from humanities and natural sciences, and it aims at systematically collecting a statistically relevant amount of data regarding the composition of the inks. The application of a wellestablished, non-invasive protocol that includes near-infrared imaging and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for in situ measurements enables the identification and characterisation of inks dating from the end of Late Antiquity onwards. However, sometimes this method limits our understanding when characterising more ancient inks. Trying to overcome these limitations, the potential of a new device for the characterisation of organic compounds is here explored by conducting preliminary tests on mock samples. In this work, we present the results from 77 codicological units that include some of the earliest manuscripts of our corpus that presently lists 159 units. KW - Ink KW - Archaeometry KW - Manuscripts KW - Coptic KW - Egypt PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-503893 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-019-00977-3 VL - 12 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-50389 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schütz, R. A1 - Maragh, J. A1 - Weaver, J. A1 - Rabin, Ira A1 - Masic, A. T1 - The Temple Scroll: Reconstructing an ancient manufacturing practice N2 - The miraculously preserved 2000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient texts of invaluable historical significance, were discovered in the mid-20th century in the caves of the Judean desert. The texts were mainly written on parchment and exhibit vast diversity in their states of preservation. One particular scroll, the 8-m-long Temple Scroll is especially notable because of its exceptional thinness and bright ivory color. The parchment has a layered structure, consisting of a collagenous base material and an atypical inorganic overlayer. We analyzed the chemistry of the inorganic layer using x-ray and Raman spectroscopies and discovered a variety of evaporitic sulfate salts. This points toward a unique ancient production technology in which the parchment was modified through the addition of the inorganic layer as a writing surface. Furthermore, understanding the properties of these minerals is particularly critical for the development of suitable conservation methods for the preservation of these invaluable historical documents. KW - Temple Scroll KW - Dead Sea Scrolls PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-495314 DO - https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaw7494 VL - 5 IS - 9 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - AAAS AN - OPUS4-49531 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Łojewska, J. A1 - Rabin, Ira A1 - Pawcenis, D. A1 - Bagniuk, J. A1 - Aksamit-Koperska, M.-A. A1 - Sitarz, M. A1 - Missori, M. A1 - Krutzsch, M. T1 - Recognizing ancient papyri by a combination of spectroscopic, diffractional and chromatographic analytical tools N2 - Ancient papyri are a written heritage of culture that flourished more than 3000 years ago in Egypt. One of the most significant collections in the world is housed in the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection in Berlin, from where the samples for our investigation come. The papyrologists, curators and conservators of such collections search intensely for the analytical detail that would allow ancient papyri to be distinguished from modern fabrications, in order to detect possible forgeries, assess papyrus deterioration state, and improve the design of storage conditions and conservation methods. This has become the aim of our investigation. The samples were studied by a number of methods, including spectroscopic (FTIR, fluorescent-FS, Raman) diffractional (XRD) and chromatographic (size exclusion chromatography-SEC), selected in order to determine degradation parameters: overall oxidation of lignocellulosic material, degree of polymerization and crystallinity of cellulose. The results were correlated with those obtained from carefully selected model samples including modern papyri and paper of different composition aged at elevated temperature in humid air. The methods were classified in the order SEC > FS > FTIR > XRD, based on their effectiveness in discriminating the state of papyri degradation. However, the most trustworthy evaluation of the age of papyri samples should rely on several methods. KW - Archaeometry KW - FTIR KW - XRD KW - Raman KW - Chromatography KW - Papyrology PY - 2017 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-428704 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/srep46236 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 7 SP - 46236, 1 EP - 46236, 12 AN - OPUS4-42870 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - GEN A1 - Rabin, Ira ED - Elgvin, Torleif ED - Langlois, Michael ED - Davis, Kipp T1 - Material analysis of the fragments N2 - The International Qumran project conducted at the BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing in 2007–10 aimed at establishing an optimal methodology for an accurate characterization of the Dead Sea Scrolls to address such questions as archaeological provenance, origin, and attribution of fragments to a specific sheet (Rabin 2013). Using equipment of various degrees of complexity we have shown that part of the historic information stored in the material can be revealed by proper characterization of the material. The on-site investigation of the Dead Sea Scrolls fragments from The Schøyen Collection in October 2012 offered the first chance to test this methodology in a field study. For the first time, we used mobile and non-invasive technology exclusively, since we could not transport all of our laboratory equipment to Norway for this project. Moreover, besides the technical limitations dictated by the available equipment, we had to cope with limited time: it was impossible to perform the number of scans required for optimal characterization of over 30 fragments within the fourteen days available. Nevertheless this study presents an important step in the material analysis of the Dead Sea Scrolls, since the devices we used are easily transportable, well known, and easily accessible throughout the world. KW - Archaeometry KW - Cultural heritage KW - Dead Sea scrolls PY - 2016 SN - 978-0-5671-1300-9 SN - 978-0-5672-8571-3 VL - 71 SP - 61 EP - 77 PB - Bloomsbury T&T Clark Series CY - New York; NY 10018 USA AN - OPUS4-39246 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -