Abstract: | In the last 10 years researchers have adapted a number of instrumental techniques for studying various aspects of historical inks that have been used in historical documents. In this paper, the applications of atomic spectroscopy such as GFAAS, ICP-MS, XRF, PIXE, and XANES are described for identifying and quantifying metals that are found in historical inks. Applications of vibrational spectroscopy, primarily Raman and near/mid-IR spectroscopy, are described for detecting organic and inorganic compounds in ink and paper. |