UWA-DESY collaborationA New Machine for Ancient Clay

18 September 2023

Photo: Karsten Helmholz

The mobile XCT scanner in its future new home. From left to right: Sebastian Bosch (Manager of instrumental analytics at the CSMC laboratory), Samaneh Ehteram (Research associate at CSMC/DESY), Patrik Wiljes (Mechatronics engineer at DESY), Christian Schroer (Principal Investigator of RFA09), Andreas Schropp (Senior scientist at DESY), Philipp Paetzold (Master student at UHH/DESY), Ralph Döhrmann (Senior engineer at DESY).

It is a significant addition to the laboratory of CSMC: a new CT scanner, which makes it possible to read sealed cuneiform tablets from Mesopotamia, has now arrived at the premises of the Cluster. The device was developed and built in a joint project between the CSMC and DESY.

As a little tribute to its ‘intellectual parents’, it is known at the Cluster as the ‘Schroer-Michel machine’: the novel computer tomograph, which can be used to analyse sealed cuneiform tablets from Mesopotamia, has recently been delivered to the Cluster’s laboratory at Warburgstraße 28 and is ready for use. In a joint effort, employees of the Cluster and DESY heaved the device, which weighs over 400 kilograms, into its new home.

The CT scanner makes it possible for the first time to read ancient cuneiform tablets whose contents have been protected from prying eyes by a clay seal. Thousands of such tablets are stored in collections and museums worldwide. The use of the mobile tomograph, which is completely non-invasive, therefore promises to be of great scientific value to assyriologists.

Photo: Karsten Helmholz

The 'Schroer Michel Machine' arrives at CSMC

Photo: Karsten Helmholz

Heavy lifting: Overall, the device weighs about 430 kg and the dimensions are 107 x 142 x 55 cm (LxHxW).

Photo: Karsten Helmholz

3D-printed sample holder with a kinematic mount for convenient and protective handling; it is designed to hold samples measuring up to 10 x 20 x 5 cm in size.

Photo: Karsten Helmholz

Philipp Paetzold and Samaneh Ehteram unpacking the scanner in the laboratory of CSMC.

Photo: Karsten Helmholz

The electronic rack is the core of the CT scanner, housing 20 TB of data storage and a substantial computing capacity.

Photo: Karsten Helmholz

Christian Schroer (second from left) explaining the set-up of the scanner.

Photo: Karsten Helmholz

The sample holder is mounted on a stage that can be rotated and moved in three directions. Surrounding the set-up is a Tungsten chamber providing shielding for the X-rays.

Photo: Karsten Helmholz

Microfocus X-ray tube specialised for high-resolution scans of thick material, such as cuneiform tablets.

Photo: Karsten Helmholz

At the Cluster of Excellence ‘Understanding Written Artefacts’, the machine was designed and built in a joint project by the assyriologist Cécile Michel and the physicist Christian Schroer from the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY). Computer scientist Stephan Olbrich is also involved in the project, which is thus exemplary for the cooperation of humanities, natural sciences, and computer sciences at the Cluster.

The idea behind the project and its scientific implementation are also part of a CSMC documentary from 2022, in which Michel and Schroer explain how the unusual collaboration came about and what technical difficulties had to be overcome (starting at 4:20 minutes).

CSMC Documentary

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