The nature of ancient Egyptian copper-containing carbon inks is revealed by synchrotron radiation based X-ray microscopy

Christiansen, Thomas; Cotte, Marine; Loredo-Portales, René; Lindelöf, P. E.; Mortensen, K.; Ryholt, Kim; Larsen, Sine

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-15652-7

Cited by 25 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…As previously observed in our study of four ancient Egyptian copper-containing carbon-black inks from the Papyrus Carlsberg Collection, Cu follows the papyrus fiber structure as well (13). This result warrants further study, since it shows that Cu is not specific to black inks.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 80%

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Insights into the composition of ancient Egyptian red and black inks on papyri achieved by synchrotron-based microanalyses

Christiansen

Cotte

Nolf

et al. 2020

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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A hitherto unknown composition is highlighted in the red and black inks preserved on ancient Egyptian papyri from the Roman period (circa 100 to 200 CE). Synchrotron-based macro–X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping brings to light the presence of iron (Fe) and lead (Pb) compounds in the majority of the red inks inscribed on 12 papyrus fragments from the Tebtunis temple library. The iron-based compounds in the inks can be assigned to ocher, notably due to the colocalization of Fe with aluminum, and the detection of hematite (Fe2O3) by micro–X-ray diffraction. Using the same techniques together with micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Pb is shown to be associated with fatty acid phosphate, sulfate, chloride, and carboxylate ions. Moreover, micro-XRF maps reveal a peculiar distribution and colocalization of Pb, phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S), which are present at the micrometric scale resembling diffused “coffee rings” surrounding the ocher particles imbedded in the red letters, and at the submicrometric scale concentrated in the papyrus cell walls. A similar Pb, P, and S composition was found in three black inks, suggesting that the same lead components were employed in the manufacture of carbon-based inks. Bearing in mind that pigments such as red lead (Pb3O4) and lead white (hydrocerussite [Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2] and/or cerussite [PbCO3]) were not detected, the results presented here suggest that the lead compound in the ink was used as a drier rather than as a pigment. Accordingly, the study calls for a reassessment of the composition of lead-based components in ancient Mediterranean pigments.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 80%

“…were developed through continuous experimentation and used alongside charcoal/soot inks (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20).…”

Section: Significancementioning

confidence: 99%

Insights into the composition of ancient Egyptian red and black inks on papyri achieved by synchrotron-based microanalyses

Christiansen

Cotte

Nolf

et al. 2020

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…The use of pure carbon ink seems to have changed from the Hellenistic period onwards, according to a few analyses that uncovered the presence of metals in carbonbased inks of this period. In the Middle East, we have evidence of copper containing carbon inks in the Genesis Apocryphon scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls collection (Jerusalem, Shrine of the Book, 1QGenAp) (Nir-El and Broshi 1996), in two fragments of private letters from Pathyris, the nowadays Gebelein, and in two others from the Tebtunis temple library (Copenhagen, Carlsberg collection) (Christiansen et al 2017). All of them are dating from a period between the last centuries before the Common Era and the first centuries after.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Black Egyptian inks in Late Antiquity: new insights on their manufacture and use

Ghigo

Rabin

Buzi

2020

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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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.

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“…They found that those manuscripts were written in iron-gall and carbon-based ink (carbon black/soot), cochineal (red) ink and gold 9 . Many other research efforts on determination of black inks and its alternatives with different techniques like Scanning Electron Microscopy were also performed on black inks so far [10][11][12] . Lamp black as a black pigment which was determined by Raman spectroscopy was also reported in many previous studies such as decoration of the main frame of Ms Pers 1 (UCL) "Anatomy of the Body" 13,14 .…”

Section: Full Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crystallite size of the graphitic phase in soot ink based on historic recipe: A potential dating tool for old manuscripts

Ünsalan

Öten

Yaman

2021

Preprint

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In this paper, we report the crystallite size of the graphitic phase observed in a soot ink sample prepared based on an original Ottoman recipe in the 18th century for the first time. Intensity ratio of the D and G bands that were observed at 1384 and 1609 cm-1 respectively, revealed that the crystallite size is 24.33 nm. This corresponds to a carbon phase between graphitic and well graphitic stage. We strongly believe that this could be further used particularly for dating purposes by investigating carbon-black pigments which we have not encountered its consideration in the literature for mainly manuscripts. Here, we especially propose using the Tuinstra-Koenig relationship together with the consideration of D and G band profiles to derive the crystallite size of the graphitic phase observed in soot ink and other various carbon-black inks for the purpose of manuscript dating.

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The nature of ancient Egyptian copper-containing carbon inks is revealed by synchrotron radiation based X-ray microscopy

Cited by 25 publications

References 16 publications

Insights into the composition of ancient Egyptian red and black inks on papyri achieved by synchrotron-based microanalyses

Insights into the composition of ancient Egyptian red and black inks on papyri achieved by synchrotron-based microanalyses

Black Egyptian inks in Late Antiquity: new insights on their manufacture and use

Crystallite size of the graphitic phase in soot ink based on historic recipe: A potential dating tool for old manuscripts

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