Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
2806731 
Journal Article 
Evidence that the Vinland Map is medieval 
Olin, JS 
2003 
Yes 
Analytical Chemistry
ISSN: 0003-2700
EISSN: 1520-6882 
75 
23 
6745-6747 
English 
16468159 
The Vinland Map has been proposed to date to the mid-fifteenth century and is significant in showing the north Atlantic area of what is now North America about 50 years before the voyages of Columbus. It has been confirmed by radiocarbon dating that the map was drawn on a fifteenth century parchment; however, controversy regarding the ink of the map has persisted. Analytical studies of the ink of the map have been interpreted to show that the map is a twentieth century forgery because of the presence of carbon and anatase in the ink. However, carbon is known to have been added to medieval iron gallotannate inks, and the presence of anatase in a medieval ink can be explained by examining the process of making medieval inks.