Shining Light on Medieval Manuscripts

The challenge is to be able to identify materials on a delicate sheet of parchment, typically a folio of a bound manuscript that does not open readily, without contact, sampling or causing any damage. Ideally the technique should give an unequivocal identification of pigments with high spatial resolution and selectivity: a challenge indeed! At Durham we use Raman spectroscopy combined with hyperspectral imaging and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to achieve this. Are currently studying the pigments used in manuscripts produced in the British Isles and northern Europe between the 7^th and 15^th centuries.