Using X-ray technology to clear up an archeological secret

In an important first, EPFL and Vaud Canton's archeology office used X-ray scanning technology to unlock the mysteries of an extremely rare chainmail shirt dating from Roman times. The results will go on display at the Cantonal Museum of Archeology and History in Lausanne from 26 April to 25 August. Researchers at EPFL have spent the past few months capturing 3D images of a Roman-era chainmail shirt using a computed tomography (CT) scanner. The piece of military armor, which dates back more than 2,000 years, is one of only a handful of similar items ever found in Europe. The twisted, corroded remains of the shirt were buried deep underground and fused with dozens of other objects that were almost impossible to tell apart using conventional investigatory techniques. The EPFL researchers, working with Vaud Canton archeologists, then came up with a full inventory of items held within the chainmail shirt. Using a 3D printer, they reproduced the items while leaving the fragile shirt - reduced by the ravages of time to a hunk of distorted metal - completely intact.