gall nuts, misy (an iron-copper ore)
Syria
10th Century
Source: Martelli, M. (2021). ‘Alchemical’ Inks in the Syriac Tradition. In S. Fani & N. T. De Pasca (Eds.), The Literary Dimension and Life of Arabic Treatises on Ink Making. Brill.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
gallnuts (κηκίδιον), water, misy (iron-copper ore)
Preparation Steps
Take gallnuts used for inks and pound them well; pour water over it, write on paper with this liquid (called 'sauce' or 'wash' in Greek) and let it get dry; take a liquid of misy, moisten the paper with it, and read (p. 90). This formula describes a specific iteration for invisible letters that become visible when moistened with iron-rich liquids (p. 90).
Original Recipe Text
Take gallnuts used for inks and pound them well; pour water over it, write on paper with this liquid (called 'sauce' or 'wash' in Greek) and let it get dry; take a liquid of misy, moisten the paper with it, and read (p. 90). This formula describes a specific iteration for invisible letters that become visible when moistened with iron-rich liquids (p. 90).
Evidence
"Take gallnuts used for inks (= Gr. κηκίδιον) and pound them well; pour water over it, write on paper with this liquid (= Gr. ζωμός, lit. ‘sauce, wash’) and let it get dry; take a liquid of misy (an iron-copper ore), moisten the paper with it, and read."
Remarks
The recipe describes a common technology in Antiquity for invisible ink. The term MLNYN is used here to translate the Greek word for ink (melan). The manuscript specifies that the ink was used by 'writers' (Syr. k-t-w-b-e), likely copyists in Christian scriptoria (p. 86-87).
Scientific Analysis
Certainty Level
Inferred
Instrumentally Verified
Not Verified
Metadata
Material Type
ink
Binderwater
Paper TypeParchment
ColorBlack
RegionSyria
Approx. Year950
Source Information
AuthorMartelli, M.
CollectionMS Mm. 6.29, fol. 121r24–25; MS Oriental 1593
Language
N/A
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