20 April 2010

Article: identifying red lakes (2009)


Title: An improved method for identifying red lakes on art and historical artifacts
Author: Barbara H. Berrie
Reference: PNAS September 8, 2009, vol. 106, no. 36, 15095-15096
Year: 2009
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0907727106
Link: html, pdf (545 Kb)

From the article:
As Leona notes in a recent issue of PNAS, art and objects of cultural heritage hold information about the technology, trade, and aesthetics of a people. This knowledge can be accessed through chemical and material analysis combined with an understanding of the history of technology, science, and art. The information learned is of great value, especially for ancient objects that are so old we have no chance of finding written documentation such as bills of lading, inventories, or manuals and treatises that we may consult for descriptions of the materials used in their creation.

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