Papyrus The Need for Analysis
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English Slovak |
| ISSN: | ISSN 0034-5806 |
| Online Access: | http://www.viks.sk/chk/res_2_01_84_106.doc |
| Abstract: | Summaries. Papyrus, one of the most ancient supports for writing, is made from the heart of the reed Cyperus Papyrus L. As the Egyptian Antiquities Department of the Musee du Louvre has a famous and significant collection of papyri, it is of great importance to understand the mechanics of this material and monitor the condition of these manuscripts. Historians still have many questions concerning the manufacturing techniques of papyrus and so an attempt was made to answer a few of them by examining some dated and undated fragments from the Louvre and the Institut de Papyrologie. Analysis of the mineral and organic elements, in particular starch, showed that the plant material strips, which make up a papyrus, adhere to each other without any additional glue. The researchers also tried to predict experimentally how these documents would deteriorate over time, by submitting some modern papyri to artificial ageing cycles. Light proved to be the most deteriorating factor, a very important parameter, which must be taken into account when exhibiting the collections. Conclusions. This study has shed new light of the technique of manufacture of papyrus as a writing material. We can draw several conclusions. ˙ No glue was added for the adherence of the strips. ˙ The sheets made with the lower part of the plant are more translucent and stick together better than sheets made from the upper part of the plant. ˙ The sheets dried after beating are very brown and contain highly oxidized cellulose. The analysis of the mineral and organic elements in the ancient and modem papyri provided an opportunity to test a number of different analytical methods. Considering the valuable nature of the documents concerned, we have obviously favoured non-destructive methods, or those which required very small samples. Some proved to be more appropriate for our studies, while others remain very promising. We have, thanks to the PIXE method, analysed the mineral content of the papyri. The identification of the chemical content in the pollution laver of each papyri reveals the influence of the cleaning process. However, the analytical results are difficult to interpret because the mineral content of the papyrus itself can interfere and also the elementary analysis gives little information on the chemical compounds present in the pollution layer. Regarding the organic compounds, we used thermogravimetric analysis to measure the respective concentrations of cellulose and lignin in some modern and ancient papyri. The results brought us to form the hypothesis that there is a correlation between the cellulose-lignin ratio and the condition of papyrus. Our experiments will be continued and be extended, not only in order to confirm this hypothesis, but also in order to find a better understanding of the history of papyrus conservation, alterations and any treatment that such an object may need at present. We hope that this technique may also prove to be useful in dating and locating the origin of papyri. This work has also brought a result for practical conservation. The behaviour of modern papyri during accelerated ageing has demonstrated the disastrous consequences of exposure to light. This very important point should be taken into account for exhibiting papyrus collections. |
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| ISSN: | ISSN 0034-5806 |
