Multiscale Materials Characterisation of Palm-Leaf Manuscripts
Applying microscopy techniques to unveil the multiscale structural features of palm-leaves, this project advances the scientific understanding of the production of a writting support that was widely used from early times all along the hot climate zones.
Palm leaf has been a very important material for the production of manuscripts in South, Central, and South East Asia, where this tradition has almost dissappeared with the exception of a few monasteries and workshops for tourist handycrafts.
The features of palm-leaves and the interplay of these writing supports with their environment have had a profound impact not only on the way in which manuscripts as well as written artefacts at large have been produced and used, but also on the way we access the literary and intellectual histories of these vast geographical areas. Despite the fact that substancial efforts have been made even very recently to document the manufacture of the writing support, much remains to be done to match this craftmanshift with the manuscripts we inherit from the past.
The scientific understanding of the production of writting supports and the material characteristics of both the writing support and the manuscripts is crucial to identify features that can help classify the manuscripts according to their origin or age. Microscopy techniques are applied to unveil the multiscale structural features of palm-leaves. Further measurements with small and wide angle X-ray scattering allow us to identify differences in structure and composition between leaves measured in different stages of preparation as well as in manuscripts.
Key Facts
Project coordination: Patrick Huber, Giovanni Ciotti, Laura Gallardo Dominguez
Cooperation partners: Deutsches Elektronensynchroton (DESY)
Duration: since 2022
Further information: