Reading ancient sealed documents

Scientists see inside a sealed testament from the State Archives of Venice using EPFL technology - without breaking the wax seal­­ - and reveal the last wishes of a Venetian lady from the year 1351. EPFL physicists reveal the last wishes of a Venetian woman from the year 1351 contained in a wax-sealed document, without breaking the seal. Using the fact that ancient inks in Europe are iron-based and X-rays cannot penetrate this heavy metal, X-ray tomography can scan through the entire volume of a book, without ever having to open it, to reveal the words written on the paper. The technology is being developed with the myriad of fragile documents at the State Archives of Venice in mind, in the context of the Venice Time Machine launched by EPFL and the Ca' Foscari University of Venice. A Venetian lady is finally heard The sealed document tells the last wishes of a Venetian woman named Catharuçia Savonario from the year 1351. EPFL physicist Giorgio Margaritondo of the Laboratory for Quantum Magnestism explains, "We do not know why the document was never unsealed. Maybe the family disappeared, or there was an epidemic.
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