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 JF - Journal of Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 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 - Nöller, Renate A1 - Danielewski, A. A1 - Giel, R. A1 - Overgaauw, E. A1 - Hahn, Oliver T1 - Material analysis of Aztec codices in Berlin. Assignment of small fragments compiled as cutouts on one plate in Humboldt’s “Atlas pittoresque du voyage” JF - STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research N2 - The collection Manuscripta Americana in Berlin consists of fragmented codices acquired by Alexander von Humboldt in Mexico. Some of these Humboldt Codices are published as hieroglyphic writings of the Aztecs in “Vues des Cordilleres et Monuments des Peuples indigènes de l’Amerique”. Starting from a special compilation of seven fragments on plate 36 in the “Atlas”, we investigated the corresponding original fragments using material analysis in order to clarify their historical relations. The analyses were carried out with X-ray fluorescence analysis, VIS spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy in diffuse reflection and revealed typical indigenous colors like cochineal, indigo, and organic yellows (e.g. mangrove and zacatlaxcalli). Four fragments under investigation show exactly the same material and thus must once have belonged together in one compendium. An additional manuscript from Mizquiahuala also shown on plate 36 can be matched to another one that is not published in the “Atlas”. KW - Manuscripts KW - Alexander von Humboldt KW - Non-destructiv testing KW - Colourants KW - Writing materials PY - 2019 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-498971 DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/20548923.2019.1682816 SN - 2054-8923 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - London AN - OPUS4-49897 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -