Metallic Ink Discovered in Ancient Scrolls Buried by Mount Vesuvius – IOTW Report

Metallic Ink Discovered in Ancient Scrolls Buried by Mount Vesuvius

Photo : Emmanuel Brun, et. al. | PNAS Online
Photo : Emmanuel Brun, et. al. | PNAS Online

SmithsonianMag: For centuries, historians have been puzzled by a tantalizing set of scrolls buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. Now, researchers have discovered that the Herculaneum Scrolls were written with lead-based ink, which might allow them to read information that was once thought to be lost to time.

When Mount Vesuvius erupted, it not only demolished Pompeii, but also the nearby Roman settlement of Herculaneum. Centuries later, hundreds of scrolls were uncovered in the area 1752, but many were too damaged by age and burns to risk unrolling. Thanks to one of the world’s most sensitive X-ray microscopes, scientists have discovered that the Herculaneum Scrolls were written with metallic ink,

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8 Comments on Metallic Ink Discovered in Ancient Scrolls Buried by Mount Vesuvius

  1. Lead-based ink is bad for humans and the environment – there’s simply no place on Earth where lead should be allowed – some l’il chillens will eat it and become retards.

    The scrolls and the accompanying ink should be destroyed at once.

    IT’S FOR THE L’IL CHILLENS!

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