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Re: orion Oil contamination
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Quite right, Tom. Thatīs why weīre having Kaare Lund Rasmussen do control
examinations of the effects of castor oil on parchment of known date; it
may be possible to devise adequate cleaning procedures. Weīre also having
him do a study of what happens if one brushes the parchment with oil
containing *ancient* carbon, such as natural mineral oil, since they didnīt
invariably use castor oil. There is one astonishing outlier, the Testament
of Qohath, which is so early that no one in the field accepts the reading:
contamination with ancient carbon could be the cause. But only time will
tell whether contamination really is the cause of these problems, and
whether itīs possible to devise cleaning procedures capable of dealing with
the problem. From the published statements of Allegro, Strugnell, and
Cross, at least the Cave 4 materials seem to have been compromised in this
fashion--and maybe others as well.
Naturally, the laboratories that undertook the previous tests enquired as
to possible sources of contamination, but it appears that no one apprised
them of the risk of castor oil contamination: no doubt one of the
inevitable lapses in communication between humanists and hard scientists.
best regards,
Fred Cryer