New scientific devices allow us to learn all sorts of new things from objects by examining them in new ways!

New scientific devices allow us to learn all sorts of new things from objects by examining them in new ways!

Originally shared by British Museum

For #BritishScienceWeek‬, we’re sharing insights into the work of our conservators and scientists.

Egyptian blue is a pigment that was used in ancient Egypt for thousands of years, often associated with depictions of divinity. It has many interesting scientific properties, one of which is that it exhibits visible-induced infrared luminescence (VIL) – this means it emits infrared light when illuminated with visible light. Because of this, we can detect whether the pigment is present using a camera sensitive to infrared. British Museum scientists have used this method to reveal hidden secrets in wall painting fragments from the tomb of Nebamun, dating from 1350 BC.

You can find out more about Egyptian blue and its scientific properties in a free talk this Wednesday by British Museum Scientist Joanne Dyer http://ow.ly/YY50O