Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7641634 | Microchemical Journal | 2016 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
We present a fundamental development step of a new technique to read and digitize ancient handwritten documents. Chemical analysis by x-ray fluorescence and x-ray tomography enabled us to decipher words and drawings from inside a closed, 200-pages 18th century handwritten book. The ink chemistry is essential: tomographic reading is feasible thanks to the iron present in ancient inks (iron gall) over one millennium-whereas carbon or organic inks do not provide sufficient x-ray contrast. The results presented are a key progress towards the ultimate goal of the technique: non-invasive reading of fragile and/or unopenable documents.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Chemistry
Analytical Chemistry
Authors
F. Albertin, A. Patera, I. Jerjen, S. Hartmann, E. Peccenini, F. Kaplan, M. Stampanoni, R. Kaufmann, G. Margaritondo,