Layout of ancient Greek papyri through lead-drawn ruling lines revealed by Macro X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging

Abstract

The use of lead-drawn ruling lines by ancient scribes for the layout of Greek papyrus rolls was known to us only from classical authors and was postulated by a few scholars in modern times. In situ application of noninvasive Macro X-Ray Fluorescence Imaging Spectroscopy (MA-XRF) to unrolled papyri from Herculaneum, dating from about 200 BC to the 1st century AD, has provided the first direct evidence of such practice in ancient book production. The key experimental proof of periodic lines drawn in lead was gathered by a highly sensitive MA-XRF mobile instrument, which allowed detection of ultra-low trace residues of metals with detection limits that rival synchrotron light instruments. Elemental distribution maps of Pb have revealed three different systems of textual layout in ancient papyrus rolls and have resolved the dispute around so-called Maas’ Law, by delivering experimental proof that slanted text columns were a deliberate aesthetic choice of scribes.

New Frontiers in the Digital Restoration of Hidden Texts in Manuscripts: A Review of the Technical Approaches

“…More recently, MA-XRF has revealed the presence of ruling lines lead-drawn by ancient scribes for the layout of Greek papyrus rolls. This discovery defines the experimental proof that slanted text columns were an esthetic choice of scribes [45].…”

Artefact Profiling: Panomics Approaches for Understanding the Materiality of Written Artefacts

“…In addition, information about the writing process itself can be obtained. Metal analyses on Greek papyrus rolls were able to detect lines drawn, which the authors of the manuscripts probably used as layout templates [ 233 ].…”

Advanced Microspatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy for Noninvasive Imaging of Concealed Texts and Figures Using Raman Signal, Fluorescence Emission, and Overall Spectral Intensity

“…Strong efforts have been recently made by conservation scientists to nondestructively retrieve such nonreadable words and nonvisible images concealed in ancient manuscripts, documents, and phantom samples using a number of analytical techniques. These include X-ray tomography, − X-ray phase-contrast imaging and tomography, − MA-XRF scanning, − terahertz spectroscopy, ,, multispectral and hyperspectral imaging in the visible, NIR, and SWIR regions, ,,, thermography, , OCT imaging, and photoacoustic imaging. − Each technique has its intrinsic performance characteristics, often leading to differing application areas and providing different types of data at different resolution scales; this complementarity represents a key point for a successful noninvasive exploration of nonvisible features in a wide range of cultural heritage objects. Here, a new analytical method with distinctly different characteristics capable of noninvasively reconstructing texts or images covered by (opaque) paper sheets in ancient documents is presented: micro-Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (micro-SORS) , imaging.…”