| Abstract: | SUMMARIES. The qualitative and quantitative investigation of historical writing materials using micro X-ray fluorescence analysis (micro-XRF) a suitable method for obtaining 'composition fingerprints' of different inks and coloured crayons. The quantitative analysis is based on a model that lakes into account the heterogeneity and the layer structure of historical samples. Starting from these imposition fingerprints, it is possible to distinguish between different iron gall inks used by an individual artist in order to establish a chronology of their use and, furthermore, to date unknown fragments that have not been integrated into the ocuvre of an artist until now. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of'several manuscripts of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe clarify the chronology within the genesis of these works. Investigation of Achim von Amim's manuscript 'Sludien zu Xalurwisscuschaften' indicated that various degradation mechanisms of iron gall inks could also be related to different inorganic compositions. Further measurements on coloured crayons in Friedrich Nietzsche's notebooks reveal thai it is possible to distinguish between different notes written by Nietzsche and his successors. Finally the analyses of two different pencils from Goethe's work shows that it might be possible to distinguish between sketches completed before and after 1800.
CONCLUSION. In this paper the authors employed a micro-XRF method for the investigation of different writing materials. It is the first time that pencils and coloured crayons have been investigated in this way. The method takes into account both the heterogeneity and the layered structure of historical samples. As shown in this paper, it can provide essential contributions to historical and archaeo-metric research without taking any samples. In the case of iron gall inks the qualitative and quantitative investigations of the inorganic compounds lead to exact characterizations of the different inks, summarized by means of fingerprints. These composition fingerprints allow us to distinguish between various inks and therefore to establish a chronology of ink types used by one artist, as well as to study the genesis of manuscripts by separating later corrections and amendments from the original sketch. Finally, this method might permit distinction between an original and a falsification. Further measurements on coloured crayons and pencils demonstrate that it is possible to use the fingerprint model on other writing and colouring materials to cany out chronological classifications. |
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