Re: The Vinland Map's Ink

On 6 Apr 2005 18:53:20 -0700, "Ken Towe" <ken.towe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

>I'm still waiting. Plenty of rhetoric and comments on other topics, but
>no answer to my query...
>
>" I would like those who regard the VM as an authentic medieval
>document to answer my question ...If the map is really medieval, what
>is a PLAUSIBLE explanation for the appearance AND composition of the
>inks that is consistent with the age of the parchment?"

I'm answering this question because I suspect that you regard me as
one of those " who regard the VM as an authentic medieval document". I
would like to make it clear that I do NOT regard the VM as an
authentic mediaeval document. Before you go rushing off to the other
extreme, that does not mean that I regard the VM as a forgery of any
age. As I have already made clear, the evidence available to me does
not enable me to reach a final conclusion one way or the other. I just
do not know.
>
>It is a really weak answer to argue(?) that we don't really know what
>the exact composition of the ink is and therefore we cannot discuss
>plausible scenarios. We DO know a number of things and these things
>that we DO know have to be placed into a plausible scenario consistent
>with a medieval origin.

This is a bizarre question. Are you setting someone up to later cut
their legs out from under them?

We do not know the composition of the ink (and you seem to agree that
this is the case), yet you have invited people to provide "a PLAUSIBLE
explanation for the appearance AND composition of the inks that is
consistent with the age of the parchments". How on earth can you
expect anyone to provide an explanation for the composition of an ink
when they do not know what it is?
>
>OK. What do we know NOW that requires plausible explanation?
>
>(1) there is anatase (TiO2) in the ink (but not on the parchment). This
>anatase is free of associated clay minerals (XRD, SAED, TEM shows no
>clays!) therefore ruling out a "natural" source (unless someone can
>PLAUSIBLY explain how a natural trace component clay anatase could have
>been completely separated from the clay which is 97% of the sediment)..
>
>(2)The anatase in the ink is a dead-ringer for commercial anatase...not
>available until circa 1920.
>(3) the ink is NOT an iron-gall ink, which was the standard ink of the
>period and which is found (free of titanium!) on the Tartar Relation
>and the Speculum Historiale. The experts at the British Museum (e.g.
>David Baynes-Cope) found that the VM was unlike any of the many
>documents that they had seen.
>(4) The ink (as observed today) is a two-component "ink". There is an
>underlying yellow-brown material with commercial-grade anatase and an
>overlying carbon-based material, much of which has flaked off.
>
>Now, regardless of what the precise composition of the ink is, what
>explanation can be offered that will explain all of these four things
>and will also be consistent with authenticity?
>And, please...no more name-calling, gutter langauage, ad hominem
>criticisms, or diversions from this point. Thanks, KEN
>




Eric Stevens

.

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