Paper Foxing Stains on a Historic Manuscript from the Early Qajar Era: Abiotic or Biotic Foxing?

The aim of this study was to identify the nature and cause of foxing spots in a historical manuscript. This manuscript was a Holy Quran from the beginning of the Qajar period and the end of the 18th century. Samples were incubated for 14 days and were evaluated for the presence of fungal activity. UV fluorescence photography, micro X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were also used to investigate the characteristics and causes of foxing spots. The results showed that there was no fungal activity in the foxing spots of this manuscript. Based on the morphology of the stain in UV fluorescence photography, these foxing stains are of the Bullseye type, usually associated with metal ions. µXRF spectroscopy also showed a high accumulation of iron and copper at the site of these spots. This indicates abiotic foxing in this manuscript. Based on FTIR spectroscopy and peak deconvolution and fitting by Gaussian function, abiotic foxing increases the cellulose oxidation rate. Intensification of cellulose oxidation in foxing stains can be considered as one of the reasons for paper discoloration

Assessing the Suitability of Native Mollusk Shells for Sclerochronochemistry Studies: An Analysis of Eight Persian Gulf Species = Melyik csiga- és kagylóhéjak alkalmasak szklerokronokémiai vizsgálatokra? – Értékelés nyolc, Perzsa-öbölben honos faj vizsgálata alapján

This study aimed to identify suitable mollusk shells for use in sclerochemistry and sclerochronochemistry studies which, applied on shells in archaeological record, can help researchers reconstruct past climatic conditions. The shell features of eight commonly occurring native mollusk species in the Persian Gulf were examined. Four sea snails (Bufonaria echinata (Link, 1807), Tibia fusus (Linnaeus, 1758), Architectonica perspectiva (Linnaeus, 1758), Cypraea turdus winckworthi (F. A. Schilder & M. Schilder, 1938)) and four bivalves (Vepricardium asiaticum (Bruguière, 1789), Callista umbonella (Lamarck, 1818), Saccostrea cucullata (Born, 1778), Anodonta cygnea (Linnaeus, 1758)) were collected from their natural habitat in 2020, for analysis. The study used micro Raman spectroscopy to identify shells with an aragonite outer layer, a requirement for sclerochemistry research. Additionally, the study utilized sclerochronological methods to determine whether the shell samples could be appropriately studied for sclerochronochemistry research. Raman spectroscopy results indicated the presence of aragonite in all species, excluding Saccostrea cucullata. Pigments were also present on the surface of all shells except those of Callista umbonella. Cross-sectional analysis indicated that the shells of Callista umbonella exhibit clear daily, monthly, and annual growth lines with a thickness of 1650 µm in the outer layer, making them excellent candidates for sclerochemistry and sclerochronochemistry studies. = A tanulmány célja, hogy megfelelő puhatestű maradványokat azonosítsunk szklerokémiai és szklerokronokémiai vizsgálatokra, amelyek a régészeti leletekként előkerülő csigákból vagy kagylókból a klíma és az egykori környezet rekonstruálására alkalmasak. Nyolc, a Perzsa-öbölben gyakran előforduló, őshonos molluszka faj héjmaradványait vizsgáltuk, ezek közül négy tengeri csigafaj (Bufonaria echinata (Link, 1807), Tibia fusus (Linnaeus, 1758), Architectonica perspectiva (Linnaeus, 1758), Cypraea turdus winckworthi (F. A. Schilder & M. Schilder, 1938)) és négy kagyló faj (Vepricardium asiaticum (Bruguière, 1789), Callista umbonella (Lamarck, 1818), Saccostrea cucullata (Born, 1778), Anodonta cygnea (Linnaeus, 1758)), amelyeket természetes élőhelyükről gyűjtöttünk be vizsgálatra 2020-ban. Mikro-Raman spektroszkópiát használtunk a héjak külső, aragonit rétegének azonosítására, amely a szklerokémiai kutatásokhoz szükséges. Továbbá, szklerokronológiai módszerekkel vizsgáltuk, hogy a molluszka héjak felhasználhatók-e ilyen célú kutatásokhoz. A Raman spektroszkópiai vizsgálatok mindegyik taxon esetében kimutatták az aragonit jelenlétét a Saccostrea cucullata kivételével. Valamennyi héjmaradványon megfigyelhető volt a pigmentek jelenléte, kivéve a Callista umbonella taxont. A héjak keresztmetszetének vizsgálata szerint a Callista umbonella héjak jól megfigyelhető napi, havi és éves növekedési vonalakat mutatnak, amelyek a külső rétegben elérik a 1650 µm vastagságot. Mindezek alapján Callista umbonella héjai várhatóan jól használhatók a szklerokronokémiai vizsgálatokhoz

Identification of Coatings on Persian Lacquer Papier Mache Penboxes by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Luminescence Imaging

In this study, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and luminescence imaging were used to identify the coatings of seven Persian lacquer papier mache penboxes, of which two were contemporary, one was from the Pahlavi era, and four belonged to the Qajar era. First, FTIR was used to identify the nature of the coating. Then, UV-induced visible luminescence imaging at the spectral ranges of 420–680 nm (UVL), 425–495 nm (UVIBL), and 615–645 nm (UVIRL) was performed for further examination. The FTIR results showed that the coatings were made of alkyd resin, oil-resin varnish (Kaman oil), and shellac. In UV-induced visible luminescence images, synthetic alkyd resin showed no fluorescence, which made it distinguishable from the natural organic coatings. While it is slightly challenging to differentiate Kaman oil from shellac based on FTIR results, these two coatings can be easily distinguished by their fluorescence in UVL and UVIBL images. The results suggest that the combined use of spectroscopy and spectral imaging methods can provide substantial information about the organic coatings of historical objects

IDENTIFICATION OF FIBERS AND WEAVING TECHNOLOGY IN THE REMAINS OF FABRICS DISCOVERED FROM KUH-E KHWAJA, A PARTHIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE IN SISTAN, IRAN

The aim of this study is to characterize fibers, spinning and weaving techniques of fabric remains found in Kuh-e Khwaja, a Parthian archaeological site in Sistan, Iran. For this purpose, 26 samples, including fabric remains (17 cases) and separate yarns (9 cases), were examined. The fibers were identified using light microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy, and the yarn twist directions, the angle of pretwist of the fibers, and the weaving pattern of the fabrics were examined by light microscopy. The results showed that a similar type of fiber was used for both warp and weft in each fabric. Among the study, 12 cases (46%) and 14 cases (54%) have been characterized as wool and cotton respectively, which indicates the prosperity of both agriculture and animal husbandry in the Parthian period in the Sistan region. The yarn twist directions in both warp and weft were the same in all fabrics and were Z/Z type, except for one sample (Z/S). Also, single-ply (21 samples, 81%) and double-ply yarns (5 samples, 19%) showed Z-twist and S(2z)-twist, respectively. Most of the fabrics showed a plain weave; however, warp rib, irregular matt, twill, basket weave, and also knitted fabric were observed among them. In addition, the results showed that wool yarns have a lower angle of pretwist compared with cotton yarns. Therefore, this issue can be used in the primary classification of fabrics found from this archaeological site.</p