NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEXTILE RESEARCH USING MACRO X-RAY FLUORESCENCE SCANNING
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2021-03-17

X-ray fluorescence is a known non-destructive technique for the investigation of various historical objects. On textiles, it might be used to analyze the element composition of metal threads based on single point measurements with spot sizes ranging from a few mm to less than 0.1 mm. The development of portable instrumentation a decade or more ago, brought further opportunities allowing on-site measurements. However, multiple single point analyses are still needed to identify the materials used and to obtain a correct interpretation of individual spectra. The recent development of the macro X-ray fluorescence mapping technique brings new interesting opportunities for textile research. With this technique, it is not only possible to characterize the different elements on a single spot in a non-invasive way but also to visualize the element distribution over the whole investigated area. In the presentation, we will discuss the application and the possibilities of the imaging technique for the study of metal threads present in two extremely fine reliquary purses, belonging to the collection of the Provincial Museum of Ancient Art of Namur (Belgium), whose current state of preservation is a major obstacle to sample-taking. In addition to the analyses of the dyes of only a few samples, macro X-ray fluorescence scanning is used to define the composition of the remaining metal threads, to reveal details of the textile composition by visualizing the patterns made by the metal treads, and to evaluate the condition of the textile as the XRF-images clearly illustrate the metal treads missing in the patterns.


Author(s): Vanden Berghe, Ina - Van Bos, Marina - Vandorpe, Maaike (Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage - KIK-IRPA)