lead (in a state similar to lead (II) acetate) within the ink
Italy
1th Century
Source: Damiani (2021). Ink in Herculaneum. In 'The Materiality of Writing: Inks, Pigments and Their Contexts', pp. 66-69.
Recipe Details
Ingredients
lead (II) acetate, carbon
Preparation Steps
The text discusses three hypotheses for the presence of lead: (a) Contamination of water used as a solvent; (b) Storage of ink in bronze containers; (c) Intentional addition of lead as an additional pigment or as a drying agent (p. 67). Specific concentrations found include 11–21 μg/cm2 in one case and 79–89 μg/cm2 in another (p. 67-68).
Original Recipe Text
The text discusses three hypotheses for the presence of lead: (a) Contamination of water used as a solvent; (b) Storage of ink in bronze containers; (c) Intentional addition of lead as an additional pigment or as a drying agent (p. 67). Specific concentrations found include 11–21 μg/cm2 in one case and 79–89 μg/cm2 in another (p. 67-68).
Evidence
"Recent analyses carried out on some fragments of Herculaneum papyri by synchrotron X-ray-based techniques have shown the presence of lead (in a state similar to lead (II) acetate) within the ink"
Remarks
The discovery challenges the traditional view that Herculaneum inks were strictly carbon-based. The study suggests a 'mixed type' of ink (p. 68). Lead serves as an excellent contrast agent for virtual unrolling. Specifically, the scan of PHerc.Paris. 1 identified verbal forms 'ΠΙΠΤΟΙΕ' and 'ΕΙΠΟΙ' (p. 66).
Scientific Analysis
Chemical CompositionPb
Analytical Techniques
X-ray Phase-Contrast Tomography
XRF
XPCT
synchrotron X-ray-based techniques
Certainty Level
Confirmed
Instrumentally Verified
Verified
Metadata
Material Type
ink
Binderbinding medium to accelerate the drying process
Paper TypeHerculaneum papyri
Colorexclusively carbon-based composition (communis opinio)
RegionItaly
Approx. Year50
Source Information
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