Advantages of scanning-mode ion beam analysis for the study of Cultural Heritage

In this paper, we discuss the convenience of performing external PIXE and PIGE measurements by scanning relatively large areas (some mm2) with a beam size of the order of hundred microns, rather than performing “spot” compositional analysis. Examples of test runs on samples of archaeometric interest are presented: scanning-mode measurements of ancient inks, Roman glass and metal point drawings clearly demonstrate that using this procedure to perform IBA may become fundamental to avoid deceptive information and to obtain more reliable quantitative results.