Post by UKarchaeology on Nov 11, 2015 15:40:34 GMT
Powerful X-ray imaging techniques have allowed French archaeologists to see the inaccessible contents of a mysterious and badly damaged 17th century box.
Scientists were able to virtually reconstruct in astounding resolution the circular elements that could be seen through the broken lid of the very rusted box. Inside, the box contained a treasure of small clay medals and two pearls.
Measuring just 1.6 inches, the metal box was found during excavations at Grenoble’s Saint Laurent church. The artifact was buried alongside a corpse in one of the 195 graves dating from the 17th century.
"The individual had been buried in a wooden coffin, the body supine, the arms along the body and forearms folded on the chest. The small metal box was near the neck," Renée Colardelle, the archaeologist in charge of the Saint Laurent church excavation, told Discovery News.
The site has been at the center of archaeological investigations for the past 20 years, revealing more than 1,500 tombs and 2,000 objects dating as early as the 4th century AD.
The fragile box was first restored by the CREAM (Centre de Restoration et d’Etude Archaeologique Municipal) in Vienne, France. The work aimed to halt the oxidation process that was eating away the metal.
Despite their efforts, it was impossible to open the box. The archaeologists then brought the artifact to the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), which houses one of the world’s most powerful X-ray machines.
Full story & pics: news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/mysterious-17th-century-boxs-contents-revealed-by-x-rays-151102.htm