Tech Shout!

A series of hidden texts which was written by the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes are now being reveled by scientists. Until now, the pages have remained concealed by paintings and texts laid down on top of the original writings.

The goatskin parchment holds key details of Archimedes work, which was and still is considered to be the foundation of modern mathematics. The researchers are now able to see through the artwork and are able to read the underlying text, using a non-destructive technique known as X-ray fluorescence. Details on Spiral Lines, the measurement of a circle, equilibrium of planes, and mechanical theorems have been revealed so far.

The writings include the only Greek version of On Floating Bodies known to exist, and the only surviving ancient copies of The Method of Mechanical Theorems and the Stomachion. In the treatises, the 3rd Century BC mathematician develops numerical descriptions of the real world.

Palimpsesting involves scraping away the original text so the parchments can be used again. Previously the privately owned palimpsest has been investigated using various optical and digital imaging techniques. However, much of the text remains hidden behind paint and stains. Hence, the researchers have now turned to a technique known as X-ray fluorescence to bring out the final details of the writings.

The technique is particularly useful for probing the palimpsest because the ink used by the scribe to record Archimedes’ work contains iron, which glows all the more with this technique. The glowing words are displayed on a computer screen, giving the researchers the first glimpse of the text in nearly 800 years.

“It’s like receiving a fax from the 3rd Century BC,” said Mr Noel, curator of manuscripts and rare books at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland and director of the imaging project. “It’s the most sensational feeling.”

Each page takes 12 hours to reconstruct as the highly focused beam of X-rays, the width of a human hair, sweeps across the page.
The team has until the 7 August this year to scrutinize the palimpsest, before the synchrotron is switched off for maintenance.During that time they hope to scan between 12 and 14 pages, paying particular attention to the areas covered with the forged paintings.

The public can watch the researchers as they reveal the glowing ancient text during a live webcast at 2300 GMT on 4 August.