Mössbauer study of iron gall inks on historical documents

Abstract Iron gall ink was used in the Western world as a permanent writing material already late Roman times and throughout Middle Ages, until it became obsolete twentieth century. There is much interest experimental methods to determine state of its degradation products on historical documents. Mössbauer spectroscopy with 57 Fe such method, has particular advantage be sensitive chemical bonding iron, but this method only rarely been applied In paper we present data for two damaged documents from Library Granada handwritten German book eighteenth addition inked parts manuscripts, ink-free were studied amount iron papers. These new results are discussed context previously published data. one investigated Fe(II)-oxalate, FeC 2 O 4 ·2H O, observed. The assignment various 3+ sites different rather difficult often there superposition species. Known forms gallate definitely not observed ferric species can remains polyphenol complexes ink, cellulose or gum arabic, very small oxide hydroxide nanoparticles.