A Review of Investigation Methods of Ancient Codices by the Example of the Codex Aureus Gnesnensis

Abstract

In 2012 Codex Aureus Gnesnensis called the „Gold Codex” from the Archdiocesian Archive of Gniezno (item „BK Ms 1a”) was investigated by scientific workers from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. The codex was made on parchment, reachly illuminated, block covered with wooden boards and leather, and decorative silver elements were set to the cover. All basic elements and substances of the object were investigated: metal elements, wooden boards, leather, pigments and binders, parchment, paper products, textile materials, materials used for reparation. Attempts were also put on investigation of degradation products of materials and decayed areas. Several methods applied to characterise meterials the object consists of. They were as follows: A). non-invasive methods: observation in ViS light, rentgenography (RTG), reflectography in the UV light, UV induced fluorescence, NIR reflectography, X-ray fluorescence, FTIR spectroscopy, False IR analysis, pH measure of paper products, B). microdestrucive analyses on samples: X-ray fluorescence, observation of morphological features under optical microscopes (VIS, PL, UV), SEM with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX), FTIR spectroscopy, False IR analysis, gas chromatography, collagen shrinkage temperature (MHT), fiber identification of paper products and textiles (morphological features, Herzberg stain, Schweizer reagent), lignin detection in paper products (phloroglucin), microchemical identification of organic substances (saponification test, hydroxyroline test, ninhydrin, sudan black, malachite green, amido black). Also the microbiological investigations were performed (nondestructive: ATP, insects identification; microdestructive:  observation of sampled microorganisms under optical microscope). Results of investigations allowed dating of parts of the codex as well as realisation of the conservation-restoration project.