Archeometry with the M4 TORNADO

Increasing efforts are made to conserve valuable objects that have suffered through the ravages of time. To be able to restore objects adequately and without destroying their original substance, it is of utmost importance to determine the composition of materials used for their production. This ensures that compatible substances can be used in the restoration process. It is even more favorable if the analysis method used is non-destructive.

In this application example a piece of medieval parchment with handwriting on it was analyzed. The image, as recorded with the M4 TORNADO's video microscope system, shows a 11 x 14 mm section of the parchment. The actual measurement areas can be seen as small green and red areas.

The image to the right contains the spectra acquired from the two areas. The green spectrum shows that the ink under the green rectangle has Ca and Fe as main constituents. This points to an iron gall ink. The red spectrum contains Hg and Pb, which indicates that a type of reddish Indian ink was used here.