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The aim of our work was to check whether the assumption that the jar was discovered in Qumran can be substantiated. In order to establish the archaeological provenance of the jar we conducted a series of analytical tests on samples of material collected from the jar in April and June 2009. The samples were either found loose within the jar, these being probably constituted by remnants of its original contents, or were clay detached from the inner and outer surface of the jar. In addition, a portion of sand deposit coating the inside of the jar handles was analysed.
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.
In this study, we address the question of the
provenance and origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts.
A characteristic low ratio of chlorine to bromine, corresponding
to that of the Dead Sea water, may serve as an indicator for
local production. For this aim we developed a non-destructive
procedure to determine the Cl/Br ratio in the parchment of
these manuscripts. Micro-X-ray fluorescence (µ-XRF) measurements
of a large number of parchment and leather
fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls were analyzed with a
routine we developed based on fundamental parameter
quantification. This routine takes into account the absorption
of the collagen matrix and the influence of the different sample
thicknesses. To calculate the representative Cl/Br ratio for each
fragment, we investigated the lateral homogeneity and
determined the total mass deposition using the intensity of
the inelastically scattered, characteristic tube radiation. The
distribution of the Cl/Br ratios thus obtained from the µ-XRF
measurements make it possible to distinguish fragments
whose origin lies within the Dead Sea region from those
produced in other locations.
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.
We have obtained a minute amount of dry ink scratched from the bronze inkwell MS 1655/2. The powder was stored between two glass slides to minimize contamination. For micro analysis by FTIR a sample of the ink powder was transferred into a diamond cell while for confocal Raman spectroscopy a micro sample was placed onto sticky tape. The same portion of the sample was also investigated by scanning electron microscopy, where the elements distribution was determined by EDX.
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.
A combination of 3D micro X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (3D micro-XRF) and micro-XRF was utilized for the investigation of a small collection of highly heterogeneous, partly degraded Dead Sea Scroll parchment samples from known excavation sites. The quantitative combination of the two techniques proves to be suitable for the identification of reliable marker elements which may be used for classification and provenance studies. With 3D micro-XRF, the three-dimensional nature, i.e. the depth-resolved elemental composition as well as density variations, of the samples was investigated and bromine could be identified as a suitable marker element. It is shown through a comparison of quantitative and semiquantitative values for the bromine content derived using both techniques that, for elements which are homogeneously distributed in the sample matrix, quantification with micro-XRF using a one-layer model is feasible. Thus, the possibility for routine provenance studies using portable micro-XRF instrumentation on a vast amount of samples, even on site, is obtained through this work.