Establishing the original order of the poems in Harward’s Almanac using paleography, codicology, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and statistical analysis
Abstract This work presents the results of a transdisciplinary analysis performed on Harward’s Almanac (Dublin, 1666), an extremely rare volume currently housed in the National Library of Ireland. The uniqueness and historical value of the Almanac is related to the presence of nineteen handwritten p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Heritage Science |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-023-01107-y |
| _version_ | 1797388150428925952 |
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| author | Veronica Biolcati James Woolley Élodie Lévêque Andrea Rossi Anna Grace Hoffmann Andrea Visentin Pádraig Ó Macháin Daniela Iacopino |
| author_facet | Veronica Biolcati James Woolley Élodie Lévêque Andrea Rossi Anna Grace Hoffmann Andrea Visentin Pádraig Ó Macháin Daniela Iacopino |
| author_sort | Veronica Biolcati |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This work presents the results of a transdisciplinary analysis performed on Harward’s Almanac (Dublin, 1666), an extremely rare volume currently housed in the National Library of Ireland. The uniqueness and historical value of the Almanac is related to the presence of nineteen handwritten poems, entered by an anonymous scribe. These record textually important English clandestine satire circulating anonymously in Dublin in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. Following a comprehensive historical assessment, it appeared evident that the current order of leaves was incorrect. To reconstruct the correct order of the leaves, and hence the likely sequence in which the manuscript poems were inscribed, this study employed a codicological/paleographic analysis complemented by analytical (X-ray fluorescence, XRF) and statistical (Self Organizing Map, SOM) investigation. Specifically, point XRF analysis was carried out for each handwritten page of the Almanac, allowing identification of ink elemental compositions (iron-based ink) and successfully supporting the validity of historical hypotheses on the poems’ order of inscription. The statistical organization of XRF data by SOMs allowed easy bi-dimensional visualization of the data set (54 points) and identification of ink similarities, once more validating the historical assessment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T22:36:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-af5d1aa302b94b538d829e547cba1a9f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-7445 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T22:36:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heritage Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-af5d1aa302b94b538d829e547cba1a9f2023-12-17T12:26:39ZengSpringerOpenHeritage Science2050-74452023-12-0111111410.1186/s40494-023-01107-yEstablishing the original order of the poems in Harward’s Almanac using paleography, codicology, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and statistical analysisVeronica Biolcati0James Woolley1Élodie Lévêque2Andrea Rossi3Anna Grace Hoffmann4Andrea Visentin5Pádraig Ó Macháin6Daniela Iacopino7Tyndall National Institute, University College CorkDepartment of English, Lafayette CollegeCentre de Recherche Histoire Culturelle et Sociale de l’Art (HiCSA), Université Paris 1 Panthéon-SorbonneSchool of Computer Science & IT, Centre for Research Training in Artificial Intelligence, University College CorkModern Irish Department, University College CorkSchool of Computer Science & IT, Centre for Research Training in Artificial Intelligence, University College CorkModern Irish Department, University College CorkTyndall National Institute, University College CorkAbstract This work presents the results of a transdisciplinary analysis performed on Harward’s Almanac (Dublin, 1666), an extremely rare volume currently housed in the National Library of Ireland. The uniqueness and historical value of the Almanac is related to the presence of nineteen handwritten poems, entered by an anonymous scribe. These record textually important English clandestine satire circulating anonymously in Dublin in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. Following a comprehensive historical assessment, it appeared evident that the current order of leaves was incorrect. To reconstruct the correct order of the leaves, and hence the likely sequence in which the manuscript poems were inscribed, this study employed a codicological/paleographic analysis complemented by analytical (X-ray fluorescence, XRF) and statistical (Self Organizing Map, SOM) investigation. Specifically, point XRF analysis was carried out for each handwritten page of the Almanac, allowing identification of ink elemental compositions (iron-based ink) and successfully supporting the validity of historical hypotheses on the poems’ order of inscription. The statistical organization of XRF data by SOMs allowed easy bi-dimensional visualization of the data set (54 points) and identification of ink similarities, once more validating the historical assessment.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-023-01107-yPaleographyCodicologyManuscript studiesInksPaperX-ray fluorescence |
| spellingShingle | Veronica Biolcati James Woolley Élodie Lévêque Andrea Rossi Anna Grace Hoffmann Andrea Visentin Pádraig Ó Macháin Daniela Iacopino Establishing the original order of the poems in Harward’s Almanac using paleography, codicology, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and statistical analysis Heritage Science Paleography Codicology Manuscript studies Inks Paper X-ray fluorescence |
| title | Establishing the original order of the poems in Harward’s Almanac using paleography, codicology, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and statistical analysis |
| title_full | Establishing the original order of the poems in Harward’s Almanac using paleography, codicology, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and statistical analysis |
| title_fullStr | Establishing the original order of the poems in Harward’s Almanac using paleography, codicology, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and statistical analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Establishing the original order of the poems in Harward’s Almanac using paleography, codicology, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and statistical analysis |
| title_short | Establishing the original order of the poems in Harward’s Almanac using paleography, codicology, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and statistical analysis |
| title_sort | establishing the original order of the poems in harward s almanac using paleography codicology x ray fluorescence spectroscopy and statistical analysis |
| topic | Paleography Codicology Manuscript studies Inks Paper X-ray fluorescence |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-023-01107-y |
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