The Making of the Vindolanda Wooden Writing Tablets: A Noninvasive Multianalytical Protocol for the Characterisation of Black Roman Inks

Within the 'Making History' project, the British Museum investigated the materiality of the Vindolanda ink writing tablets for the first time, with a particular focus on the possible differentiation of the ink sources employed. Thanks to the application of complementary scientific techniques, it was possible to develop an analytical protocol for the documentation of the ink writing from the palaeographic and conservation points of view and the characterisation of their manufacture. From the macroscopic to the microscopic scale, the use of imaging techniques (MBI, SWIR and digital microscope) highlighted the unique features of the different handwriting styles and allowed the identification of the ink typology. Raman spectroscopy and elemental analyses (XRF and SEM-EDX) were then applied to gain information about the chemical-physical nature of the inks. The main achievement was the possibility to differentiate the sources of carbon-based inks using Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis. It was possible to examine ink production at the edge of the Roman Empire, comparing it with the ancient literature and the different practices arising in the Mediterranean area.