Electromagnetic images help scientists deconstruct ancient Jewish parchment



Researchers used a combination of imaging techniques to extract details about the materials and history of an ancient Jewish parchment. Photo by Ioana Maria Cortea, et al./Frontiers in Materials

Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Scientists were able to deconstruct an ancient Jewish parchment using a combination of sophisticated imaging techniques.

The research -- published Friday in the journal Frontiers in Materials -- could help scientists better understand how historical documents and artifacts degrade over time.T

For the study, researchers at Romania's National Institute for Research and Development in Optoelectronics examined a poorly preserved manuscript containing several chapters from the Book of Esther in the Hebrew Bible.

"The goal of the study was ... to understand what the passing of time has brought upon the object, how it was degraded and what would be the best approach for its future conservation process," Luminita Ghervase, study co-author and research scientist at the institute, said in a news release.

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By deploying a variety of spectroscopic instruments and capturing images from a multitude of angles, researchers were able to elicit details about the ancient parchment's material origins.

"The use of complementary investigation techniques can shed light on the unknown history of such an object," Ghervase said. "For some years now, non-invasive, non-destructive investigation techniques are the first choice in investigating cultural heritage objects, to comply with one of the main rules of the conservation practice, which is to not harm the object."

Using what's known as multispectral imaging, researchers scanned the parchment within different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because different materials absorb and reflect light in different ways, this imaging technique can highlight irregularities.

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For example, researchers spotted an area with heightened ultraviolet absorption, suggesting a patch of the parchment was repaired with an organic material such as resin.

The multispectral scans also revealed two different kinds of ink, possible evidence that attempts to restore the parchment's text were made at some point during its history.

Researchers relied on a computer algorithm to identify the parchment's spectral signatures and super fine scales, a technique that could be used in the future to decipher text.

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Using a separate technique called X-ray fluorescence -- which can be used to identify specific chemicals in the ink and parchment material -- scientists found large concentrations of ink, commonly used in bleaching treatments, further evidence of past restoration attempts.

After determining the parchment was made of animal skin, researchers used a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer to measure the deterioration rate of collagen in the scroll.

Researchers hope their work could inform historians' efforts to date the parchment, as well as aid the restoration attempts of conservators.

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"They can wisely decide if any improper materials had been used, and if such materials should be removed," Ghervase said. "Moreover, restorers can choose the most appropriate materials to restore and preserve the object, ruling out any possible incompatible materials."