Sibilia Mirta, Stani Chiaramaria, Gigli Lara, Pollastri Simone, Migliori Alessandro, D'Amico Francesco, Schmid Chiara, Licen Sabina, Crosera Matteo, Adami Gianpiero, Barbieri Pierluigi, Plaisier Jasper R, Aquilanti Giuliana, Vaccari Lisa, Buson Stefano, Gonzato Federica
Nuclear Science and Instrumentation Laboratory, Physics Section, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Seibersdorf, Austria.
CERIC-ERIC, Strada Statale 14, 34149, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 31;11(1):7231. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-86288-x.
A multi-instrumental approach combining highly sensitive Synchrotron Radiation-based techniques was used to provide information on the real composition of a dry black ink powder found in a bronze inkwell of the first century AD. The presence of Pb, Cu and Fe in the powder, revealed by XRF and ICP-OES data, leads to raise several hypotheses on their origin. The inkpot and its lid were also investigated by Hand-Held XRF, revealing a bronze alloy (Cu-Sn) with a certain amount of Fe and Pb. The lid was found to be particularly enriched in lead. XRPD, XAS and FTIR measurements showed a substantial presence of silicates and common clay minerals in the ink along with cerussite and malachite, Pb and Cu bearing-carbonates, respectively. These evidences support the hypothesis of an important contamination of the ink sample by the burial environment (soil) and the presence of degradation products of the bronze inkpot. The combined use of IR, Raman, and GC-MS evidenced that the black ink is mainly composed of amorphous carbon deriving from the combustion of organic material mixed with a natural binding agent, Arabic gum.
采用基于同步辐射的高灵敏度多仪器联用方法，以获取公元一世纪青铜墨水瓶中发现的干黑色墨粉真实成分的信息。XRF和ICP - OES数据显示墨粉中存在铅、铜和铁，这引发了对其来源的多种假设。还通过手持式XRF对墨水瓶及其盖子进行了研究，结果显示其为含有一定量铁和铅的青铜合金（铜 - 锡合金）。发现盖子中铅的含量特别高。XRPD、XAS和FTIR测量结果表明，墨水中大量存在硅酸盐和常见粘土矿物，同时还有白铅矿和孔雀石，分别为含铅和含铜的碳酸盐。这些证据支持了墨水样本受到埋藏环境（土壤）严重污染以及青铜墨水瓶存在降解产物的假设。IR、拉曼光谱和GC - MS的联合使用证明，黑色墨水主要由有机材料燃烧产生的无定形碳与天然粘合剂阿拉伯胶混合而成。
