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Eingeladener Vortrag
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The Erfurt Hebrew Giant Bible and the Experimental XRF Analysis of Ink and Plummet Composition
(2007)
Dead sea Scrolls: materials characterisation by means of synchrotron based µ-FTIR spectroscopy
(2007)
The Dead Sea Scrolls belong to the most important cultural assets of mankind. Their long term preservation and study is a challenge that demands an interdisciplinary approach. As early as the 1950s natural scientists assisted the scholars in studying the scrolls. It was at this time that the first extensive study of the scroll material took place. It was found that most fragments were written not on leather but on parchment. In addition, a method for determining the age of the parchment was developed which is still of value today. In the 1990s the AMS-C14 method confirmed the palaeographic determination of the age of the manuscripts. The use of carbon ink throughout the scrolls is also consistent with the known scribal practices of that time. There are, however, manuscripts, and among them the famous Genesis Apocryphon Scroll, which exhibit ink corrosion, normally associated with iron-gall inks.
Today, 60 years after their discovery, a community of scientists from the Jewish National and University Library (JNUL), the Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin), the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) and Fritz-Haber-Institute of the MPG (FHI) set out to scientifically investigate the finds of Qumran using the most modern methods. The results of the study will be used to determine the provenance of the texts as well as to contribute to their long-term preservation. A considerable part of the non-destructive investigation is taking place in the Berlin State Library and at the Berliner Elektronenspeicherring-Gesellschaft für Synchrotronstrahlung , BESSY II.
Preliminary investigations, performed at the BAM on some fragments, were used to evaluate the extent to which X-ray analytical methods can provide information regarding the geographical origin of the fragments and match the individual pieces. The interpretation of the measurement results is made more difficult by age and storage of the objects. It is believed that ageing processes as well as conservation methods have altered the samples in addition to the changes caused by environmental influences.
In collaboration with the TU Berlin, the samples from the parchments found in the caves near Qumran were tested by means of three-dimensional synchrotron based X-ray fluorescence analysis (3D-SyXRF). The aim of this non-destructive investigation was the identification of the inorganic material used in the manufacture of the parchments.
The XRF experiments are supported by the non-destructive analysis by means of synchrotron based infrared spectroscopy (SyFTIR) in collaboration with BESSY II as well as optical and electron microscopy in collaboration with Fritz-Haber-Institute (FHI).
In this study we demonstrate the possibility to identify the production area of the scrolls, coupling non-destructive quantitative analysis of race elements to spectroscopic investigation of the inks. This approach, that allowed us to determine the Dead Sea area as origin of 1QHodayot, is of general validity.
Dead Sea Scrolls project
(2009)
Chemical composition of the unique Temple Scroll and other fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls
(2010)
Hidden history of the DSS
(2010)
Dead Sea Scrolls report
(2010)
Provenienz und Herstellung der Schriftrollen vom Toten Meer: der Beitrag der Naturwissenschaften
(2010)
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.
Parchment has been in use for thousands of years
and has been used as the writing or drawing support for
many important historic works. A variety of analytical
techniques is currently used for routine assessment of the
degree of denaturation of historic parchment; however,
because parchment has a heterogeneous nature, analytical
methods with high spatial resolution are desirable. In this
work, the use of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and
synchrotron-IR (SR-IR) was examined in conjunction with
multivariate data analysis to study degradation of an
extended set of historic parchment samples, and particularly
to investigate the effect of lipids and the presence of iron
gall ink on the degradation processes. In the data analysis,
shrinkage temperature, lipid content, sample age, presence
of ink and accelerated degradation were included. The
analysis of loading factors in partial least-squares regression
and principal component analyses based on SAXS, SR-IR
and other analytical and descriptive data reveals the effect
of lipid removal on diffraction patterns, and lipids are found
to cause the degradation process in parchment to accelerate.
The effect of iron gall ink is also evident, although the
mechanism of ageing is different to that of natural ageing in
the absence of ink. In addition, a historic parchment score
from ca. 1750 is examined, demonstrating the significant
effect of iron gall ink, and lipids and inorganic soiling on its
increased degradation.
Unilateral and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance
(NMR) analyses were performed on a parchment
fragment of the Dead Sea Scroll (DSS). The analyzed
sample belongs to the collection of non-inscribed and
nontreated fragments of known archaeological provenance
from the John Rylands University Library in Manchester.
Therefore, it can be considered as original DSS material
free from any contamination related to the post-discovery
period. Considering the paramount significance of the DSS,
noninvasive approaches and portable in situ nondestructive
methods are of fundamental importance for the determination
of composition, structure, and chemicalphysical
properties of the materials under study. NMR studies
reveal low amounts of water content associated with
very short proton relaxation times, T1, indicating a high
level of deterioration of collagen molecules within scroll
fragments. In addition, 13C cross-polarization magicangle-
spinning (CPMAS) NMR spectroscopy shows characteristic
peaks of lipids whose presence we attribute to
the production technology that did not involve liming.
Extraction with chloroform led to the reduction of both
lipid and protein signals in the 13C CPMAS spectrum
indicating probable involvement of lipids in parchment
degradation processes. NMR absorption and relaxation
measurements provide nondestructive, discriminative, and
sensitive tools for studying the deterioration effects on the
organization and properties of water and collagen within
ancient manuscripts.
In this work, we applied scanning electron
microscopy (SEM), microanalysis and Raman spectroscopy
to study the fungi inhabiting a richly illuminated parchment
document and the damage induced by their activity. To that
aim, we collected samples of fungal mycelium from the
deteriorated areas on a removable adhesive tape specifically
intended for lifting fungi without damaging the support.
SEM analysis of the adhesive tape samples showed the cooccurrence
of several species of fungi. One strain closely
resembling Acremonium species was observed only in the
tape micrographs but no agar cultures were obtained. Its
fungal structures showed the production of abundant
oxalates with an outstanding leaching of the calciumbased
materials of parchment (typically manufactured with
gypsum and lime). Needle-like crystals of calcium oxalate
produced by the fungus forming a uniform and quite
regular grid around conidial slimy heads were documented.
As a result, the areas affected by moulds were weakened,
stained and characterised by a powdery patina rich in
calcium. Confocal µ-Raman confirmed the presence of
oxalates while EDS showed the presence of calcium in
crystals. We conclude that the defacement of the parchment
was due to both collagenolytic activity, and to the
biotransformation of calcium-based minerals by fungi.
The aim of the research project 'Typology of
Dutch Drawing' was to establish an interdisciplinary approach
for investigating heterogeneous drawing collections.
To define a type common to a group of drawings, we
determine elements that are common to them based on style
and the use of identical materials. To that end, we investigated
about 750 Dutch drawings from the sixteenth century at the
Dresden Kupferstich-Kabinett using art historical and
scientific methods. In this work, we present a detailed
analysis of 30 drawings ascribed to the Egmont Master.
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 Dead Sea Scrolls that miraculously survived for over two thousand years suffered considerable damage due to various post-dicovery interventions. Today they are subjected to frequent travelling exhibitions. The current work collates the published information on exhibitions and conservational treatments with the results of the analytic studies of the skin-based material of the scrolls conducted since their discovery. The examination of the properties of the scrolls proves that frequent travel, exhibitons and the associated handling induce collagen deterioration that is covered up by the absence of a proper monitoring program.
Censorship of parts of written text was and is a common practice in totalitarian regimes. It is used to destroy information not approved by the political power. Recovering the censored text is of interest for historical studies of the text. This paper raises the question, whether a censored postcard from 1942 can be made legible by applying multispectral imaging in combination with laser cleaning. In the fields of art conservation (e.g. color measurements), investigation (e.g. Analysis of underdrawings in paintings), and historical document analysis, multispectral imaging techniques have been applied successfully to give visibility to information hidden to the human eye.
The basic principle of laser cleaning is to transfer laser pulse energy to a contamination layer by an absorption process that leads to heating and evaporation of the layer. Partial laser cleaning of postcards is possible; dirt on the surface can be removed and the obscured pictures and writings made visible again. We applied both techniques to the postcard. The text could not be restored since the original ink seems to have suffered severe chemical damage.
For many years after the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, text analysis and fragment attribution were the main concern of the scholars dealing with them. The uncertain archaeological provenance of a large part of the collection added difficulties to the already formidable task of sorting thousands of fragments. After 60 years of scholarly research the questions of origin, archaeological provenance and correct attribution of the fragments are still debated. To help address these questions we have developed a methodology suitable for the material studies of the scrolls using combinations of X-ray, FTIR and Raman techniques. On the one hand, an accurate characterization of the highly heterogeneous writing media of the Dead Sea Scrolls leads to a reliable reconstruction of their history and, thus, contributes significantly to the current debate. On the other hand, it provides new information on the production of ancient parchment towards the end of the Second Temple period, opening a new page in the historical study of technology.
Abstract For many years after the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, text analysis and fragment attribution were the main concern of the scholars dealing with them. The uncertain archaeological provenance of a large part of the collection added an additional difficulty to the formidable task of sorting thousands of fragments. After sixty years of scholarly research, the questions of origin, archaeological provenance, and correct attribution of the fragments are still debated. In many cases, material characterization of the scroll writing media delivers answers to these questions. Physical and chemical examination of the skin-based material of the Dead Sea Scrolls started shortly after their discovery. Subsequent studies dedicated to long-term preservation resulted in a respectable body of knowledge about this material, in many ways very different from medieval parchment. A new multi-instrumental approach, developed for an accurate characterization of the highly inhomogeneous 'parchment' of the Dead Sea Scrolls, might lead to a reliable reconstruction of their history. This approach is illustrated by the case studies, in which we discuss the specific questions of origin (1QHa), archaeological provenance (11QTa), and post-discovery interventions (1QapGen ar).
Quantifying degradation of collagen in ancient manuscripts: the case of the Dead Sea Temple Scroll
(2013)
Since their discovery in the late 1940s, the Dead Sea Scrolls, some 900 ancient Jewish texts, have never stopped attracting the attention of scholars and the broad public alike, because they were created towards the end of the Second Temple period and the 'time of Christ'. Most of the work on them has been dedicated to the information contained in the scrolls' text, leaving physical aspects of the writing materials unexamined. They are, however, crucial for both historical insight and preservation of the scrolls. Although scientific analysis requires handling, it is essential to establish the state of degradation of these valued documents. Polarized Raman Spectroscopy (PRS) is a powerful tool for obtaining information on both the composition and the level of disorder of molecular units. In this study, we developed a non-invasive and non-destructive methodology that allows a quantification of the disorder (that can be related to the degradation) of protein molecular units in collagen fibers. Not restricted to collagen, this method can be applied also to other protein-based fibrous materials such as ancient silk, wool or hair. We used PRS to quantify the degradation of the collagen fibers in a number of fragments of the Temple Scroll (11Q19a). We found that collagen fibers degrade heterogeneously, with the ones on the surface more degraded than those in the core.
The library of the remote monastery of Qäqäma Maryam Kidanä Mehrät in Däg'a Tämben (Tagray, North Ethiopia) was investigated by the team of the project Ethio-SPaRe in June and November 2012. A preliminary study of the library showed that the collection was extended and profoundly renovated in the nineteenth Century, in the course of the revival the monastery had during the reign of King Yohannas IV (1872-89). The shaping of the collection was apparently linked to the figure of the powerful abbot, Gäbrä Giyorgis, who donated dozens of books of diverse provenance, which he himself gathered or received as gifts.1 As the result, the extensive library contains a huge amount of information, but its heterogeneity poses a very serious challenge to the researcher.
The paper 'The constituents of the ink from a Qumran inkwell: New prospects for provenancing the ink on the Dead Sea Scrolls' by Rasmussen et al. (2012) presents an account of the analysis of a residue from an unprovenanced inkwell. In this comment, I reassess their study and offer alternative interpretations of their experimental results.
Towards a unified database of the writing materials used in ancient and medieval Hebrew manuscripts
(2014)
The Nepal-German Manuscript Preservation Project (NGMPP) microfilmed two sets of the rNying margyud 'bum: in 1989 the set stored in the National Archives in Kathmandu (NAK) and in 1992 another set during an expedition to Nubri, Samagaon. Both microfilming were carried out under the local director of the Nepal Research Centre (NRC) in Kathmandu, and who has also discussed the two (and other) rNying ma rgyud 'bum sets on several occasions.2 The NAK and Nubri rNying ma rgyud 'bum sets were extensively studied and catalogued (Almogi) within the framework of the Tibetology sub-project "The Manuscript Collections of supervision of Franz-Karl Ehrhard, who was at the time the the Ancient Tantras (rNying ma rgyud 'bum): An Examination of Variance," conducted at the Researcher Group "Manuscript Cultures in Asia and Africa," University of Hamburg (2008-2011).
This article presents the findings resulting from the material analysis of several Sanskrit palm-leaf manuscripts from a corpus partly preserved in Nepal, viz. in the National Archives, Kathmandu (NAK), and in the Kaiser Library (KL), which is likewise situated in Kathmandu. The analysis was undertaken in March 2013. The colleagues of the NAK allocated a room in their precincts to us, where we could set up our mobile laboratory, and gave us access to the required manuscripts from their holdings. The officials of the KL, in turn, allowed us to take some of their valuable and ancient manuscripts to the NAK. In this way, we were enabled to conduct multi-instrumental studies on writing materials of great antiquity and interest.
The analysis of physical and chemical properties of artefacts provides important data for answering questions that cannot be solved by historical and philological methods alone. In its individual materiality, each manuscript is the result of various influences (e.g. production, storage, restoration, preservation). Given the recent technological developments (e.g. miniaturization of structural units, enlargement of memory capacity), technical diagnostics of art and cultural objects are becoming increasingly sought after in trans-disciplinary research. In this review we present a multi-instrumental approach to the investigation of manuscripts. Several case studies will illuminate our methodology.
The qualitative and quantitative investigations of historical iron-gall inks by use of μ-XRF spectrometry is a common method for analyzing the diff erences in their composition. When a fingerprint is established, it is possible to characterize the distinguishable inks used in the production of medieval manuscripts, and, in turn assist in the reconstruction of the manuscript’s history.The characterization of the primary inks in palimpsests, i.e. manuscripts written on re-used parchment, presents a serious problem as the effect of the partial removal on the inks fi ngerprint is yet known.
In this paper we explore our preliminary results concerning the effects of two removal techniques on the fingerprint of iron-gall inks on parchment.
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.
The international Qumran project coordinated at the BAM, Berlin, resulted in an integrated methodology for determining the original and acquired properties of the skin-based writing surfaces of the Dead Sea Scrolls. This methodology offers a powerful tool for addressing such questions as the provenance, sorting and comparison of manuscripts. In addition, we have developed specific protocols for on-site studies, which were successfully applied to the fragments from the Schøyen collection in Norway. Our studies show that the Dead Sea Scrolls writing surfaces can be divided roughly into three groups: leather, parchments of a light tint, and those of various shades of brown. The latter ones are invariably tanned, whereas the middle group is characterized by the presence of various inorganic salts. Some of the pale parchments, among them the Temple Scroll (11Q19), are remarkably similar to medieval European parchment. Therefore we have formulated the working theory that in the Judaea of the Hellenistic period two different parchment-making traditions existed side by side: an ‘eastern’ one (represented by the tanned parchments of Qumran, closely resembling Aramaic documents from the fifth century BC, and a ‘western’ one (represented by the untanned/lightly tanned ones similar to early Christian Greek parchments).
This division has found support during our first pilot study of the Geniza fragments, in which Babylonian and Palestinian traditions seem to follow the “eastern” and “western” technologies, respectively.
The evolution and socio-geographic distribution of writing inks in late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages build the second focus of the BAM group. We use X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) to determine the chemical composition of the inks and NIR-reflectography for their typology. Here the early appearance of the metal containing inks clearly belongs to the western tradition as opposed to the continuous use of soot inks in the East.
The lecture will discuss the sensitive issue of authentication of the objects of cultural heritage of immense cultural and monetary value if certified to be genuine. It will be made clear that material analysis alone, especially its non-destructive variety conducted by specialists in a single technique, can not prove that the object is genuine. The best material analysis can do, after all appropriate tests have been conducted, is to announce that nothing has been found that contradicts the assumption of genuineness. Moreover, the results of the natural analysis can never be used as the only justification of the authentication in the cases of composite objects such as manuscripts or epigraphs. A certification always requires the expertise of the specialist in the field (be it a historian, paleographer, epigrapher, etc.), whose judgment can be at the most supported by appropriate material analysis.
The most effective approach for testing suspicious artifacts has been established by the forensic science. Here, not the authentication, but the determination of the forgery stands in the focus of the work. Investigation protocols developed within 150 years and constantly improved include a clear statement of the analysis purpose and the definition of plausibility criteria for the possible outcome. The younger sister of the forensics, archaeometry has to overcome additional obstacles such as the heterogeneity of historic material coupled with the scarcity of suitable reference material. Over the last two decades the popularity of archaeometric studies has increased enormously, with the industry-driven development of so-called non-destructive technologies (NDT) that do not require sampling. Further technological developments led to the appearance of NDT methods with extremely small interaction windows (µm range). Each of these methods has limitations that have to be carefully considered when planning the tests of a heterogeneous and often partially degraded historical material. This approach is inherently multi-instrumental, therefore archaeometric and forensic departments unite a number of specialists who work together defining the tasks and the methods involved for their successful completion.
The experimental knowledge about the inks of antiquity and late antiquity rarely goes beyond their visual description. In rare cases, inks typology has been determined by means of microscopy and reflectography, i.e. using their physical and optical properties, respectively. Soot, plant, and iron gall inks form different typological classes of historical black writing materials. Soot ink is a fine dispersion of carbon pigments in a water-soluble binding agent; plant-based ink consists of tannin solution; iron gall-ink presents a boundary case between soot and plant ink— a water soluble preliminary stage (similar to inks from the second group) oxidizes and evolves into a black, insoluble material (similar to the carbon pigments of the first group) when the writing is exposed to air. Each ink class has distinct properties that would readily permit their easy differentiation, if only these historical inks always belonged to just one of the classes above. In reality, inks may contain additives that obscure a clear picture.
All the black inks of the DSS have been hitherto identified as soot inks. Yet some manuscripts, with 1QapGen ar among them, display ink corrosion that is incompatible with the pure soot ink. This type of corrosion commonly observed in medieval manuscripts written with iron gall inks, results from the catalytic action of metallic component in the ink. Early analysis of this ink conducted by Nir El and Broshi in 1996 found copper in the corrosive inks and attributed its presence to the use of bronze inkwells. Re-investigation of the 1QapGen ar ink suggests, however, that the ink composition, soot + copper, agrees well with the ink recipe recorded in the 1st century CE by Dioscorides. Similar inks have been already attested on contemporary Egyptian papyri. The first part of the paper is dedicated to the new results on the inks and corrosion pattern of the 1QapGen ar.
In the second part of the presentation I will focus on the luxury scrolls, a distinct codicological type introduced by E. Tov. Our studies show that the preparation of the writing materials cannot supplement the list of codicological criteria offered by Tov. Therefore, one can divorce the writing material production from its inscription in contrast with the medieval scriptoria practices that included parchment production and copying of the manuscripts.
Material study of inks
(2016)
Our experimental knowledge about the inks of antiquity and late antiquity rarely goes beyond their visual description. In rare cases, inks typology has been determined by means of microscopy and reflectography, i.e. using their physical and optical properties, respectively. Soot, plant, and iron gall inks form different typological classes of historical black writing materials. Soot ink is a fine dispersion of carbon pigments in a water-soluble binding agent; plant-based ink consists of tannin solution; iron gall-ink presents a boundary case between soot and plant ink— a water soluble preliminary stage (similar to inks from the second group) oxidizes and evolves into a black, insoluble material (similar to the carbon pigments of the first group) when the writing is exposed to air. Each ink class has distinct properties that would readily permit their easy differentiation, if only these historical inks always belonged to just one of the classes above. In reality, inks may contain additives that obscure a clear picture.
Even crude observations suggest that the inks of antiquity differed greatly in their composition. We believe, that reconstructing the ink recipes with the help of advanced non-destructive analytical techniques could serve as a powerful accessory in the studies of ancient papyri.
The proposed paper will present a short survey of the methods of material analysis and the challenges offered by ancient inks. (Two) examples of ink studies from the collections of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and Egyptian Museum in Berlin will conclude the paper.
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.
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.
Parchment
(2017)
This lecture will present history of parchment based on written sources and chemical examination of antique, medieval and modern parchment.
Our studies of the Dead Sea Scrolls writing surfaces show that they can be divided roughly into three groups: leather, parchments of a light tint, and those of various shades of brown. The latter ones are invariably tanned, whereas the middle group is characterized by the presence of various inorganic salts. Some of the pale parchments, among them the Temple Scroll (11Q19), are remarkably similar to medieval European parchment. Therefore we have formulated the working theory that in the Judaea of the Hellenistic period two different parchment-making traditions existed side by side: an ‘eastern’ one (represented by the tanned parchments of Qumran, closely resembling Aramaic documents from the fifth century BC, and a ‘western’ one (represented by the untanned/lightly tanned ones similar to early Christian Greek parchments).
This division has found support during our studies of the Geniza fragments, in which Babylonian and Palestinian traditions seem to follow the “eastern” and “western” technologies, respectively.
Investigation of physical properties and chemical composition of writing materials generates important data that we add to the results of the codicological analysis of the manuscripts. In its individual materiality, each manuscript is the result of a wide variety of influences. The “life” of a manuscript starts with its production that includes preparation of the writing surfaces and inks; it is followed by the use and storage, and finally characterized by treatment during restoration. Using instrumental analysis we record the characteristics that still exist. Combining our data with those obtained from the palaeographical and codicological analysis produces a new powerful tool for reconstruction of the history of a manuscript.
This paper addresses the role of material analysis in the current discussion on the authenticity of unprovenanced fragments. It will show that material analysis alone, especially its non-destructive variety, cannot prove that the object is genuine. The best material analysis can do, after all appropriate tests have been conducted, is to announce that nothing has been found that contradicts the assumption of genuineness. Moreover, the results of the material analysis can never be used as the only justification of authentication in cases of composite objects such as manuscripts or epigraphs.
The most effective approach for testing suspicious artifacts has been established by forensic science. Not limited to non-invasive analysis, this approach relies on validated techniques that usually require the extraction of samples and comparison with reference materials and are capable of delivering unambiguous results. In contrast, the analysis of suspicious manuscripts has to overcome additional obstacles such as the heterogeneity of historical material, the scarcity of suitable reference standards, and restriction to strictly non-invasive techniques.
We discuss the reliability of the testing protocol based on the non-destructive multi-instrumental approach developed by the BAM for the investigation of writing materials. In the case of the DSS, it relies on comparison with the genuine DSS fragments studied over the last 10 years.
This paper addresses the sensitive issue of authentication of the un-provenanced manuscripts of high monetary value if certified to be genuine.
Over the last decade the popularity of material studies of manuscripts using non-destructive technologies (NDT) has increased enormously. In the case of suspicious writings these studies are held in especially high esteem due to the methodological rigor they are reputed to contribute to debate. Moreover, audiences from a humanities background often tend to disregard the technical details and treat any published interpretation of instrumental analysis as an objective finding.
The paper will discuss the currently available methods and testing protocols for writing materials stressing the advantages and limitations of the non-invasive analysis. As an example we will consider the recent announcement of the possibility of non-invasive dating of carbon inks focusing on the validation required for a testing method.
We will make clear that material analysis alone cannot prove that the object is genuine. We should rather adopt the effective approach for testing suspicious artifacts that has been established by the forensic science. Here, not the authentication, but the determination of the forgery stands in the focus of the work.
Naturwissenschaftliche Verfahren sind inzwischen fester Bestandteil bei der materialwissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Kunst- und Kulturgut und bei der Entwicklung von Konservierungskonzepten zum Erhalt des kulturellen Erbes. Insbesondere werden zunehmend bildgebenden Verfahren wie die Computertomographie, die Radiographie oder die Multispektralanalyse verwendet, um die für das menschliche Auge nicht sichtbare Inhalte wie Vorzeichnungen, Pentimenti oder innere Strukturen zu visualisieren. Die entstehenden „neuen Bilder“ verändern jedoch die Sichtweise auf das kulturelle Artefakt, da sie tiefere Einblicke in den Herstellungsprozess, den Aufbau oder den Erhaltungszustand geben können. Weiterhin dokumentieren sie Veränderungen, denen ein Objekt unterworfen wurde. Anhand der Untersuchung von zwei Objekten mit dem Röntgenfluoreszenzportalscanner Jet Stream soll das Verhältnis Original – Digitalisat – Rekonstruktion diskutiert werden.