Ink in Herculaneum: A Survey of Recent Perspectives

Recent research challenges the long-held assumption that carbon black was the primary ink used in ancient Graeco-Latin papyri from Herculaneum. A groundbreaking study employing X-Ray Phase Contrast Tomography (XPCT) revealed significant lead content in some ink fragments, suggesting lead may have been a key component rather than an exception. This discovery opens new avenues for non-invasive analysis of still-rolled scrolls using synchrotron light to distinguish text from parchment without unrolling, potentially revolutionizing the study of preserved but inaccessible manuscripts.

Damiani, V. (2021). Ink in Herculaneum: A Survey of Recent Perspectives. Traces of Ink, 57–69. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004444805_005