The evaluated centaur head from the Parthenon temple, National Museum of Denmark. The head initially belonged to a centaur figure and was part of a scene depicting the Greek mythological Lapiths battle against the centaurs (mythical creatures that were half-horse, half-human). For reasons that have yet to be explained, parts of the centaur head are coated with a thin brown film, as are numerous other marble pieces from the Parthenon. The same goes for the theory that it might be residues of applied paint– maybe to safeguard or tone the marble surface,” states Kaare Lund Rasmussen.How the centaur head came to DenmarkThe centaur head, along with another head from the Parthenon temple, came to Denmark in 1688 as a present to King Christian V. The Centaur Head was positioned in the Royal Kunstkammer, which later ended up being the National Museum, where it has been shown ever since.For their examinations, the research team was allowed to take 5 small samples from the back of the centaur head.
The analyzed centaur head from the Parthenon temple, National Museum of Denmark. Credit: John Lee, National Museum of DenmarkFor almost 200 years, archaeologists have actually been puzzled by a mysterious brown stain on the ancient Greek Parthenon temple in Greece. Now, researchers from SDU have actually performed brand-new clinical analyses, and their decision is clear: The secret remains.At the National Museum in Copenhagen, there is a marble head that was when part of the ancient Greek Parthenon temple on the Acropolis in Athens. The head originally belonged to a centaur figure and became part of a scene portraying the Greek mythological Lapiths fight versus the centaurs (mythical animals that were half-horse, half-human). For reasons that have yet to be described, parts of the centaur head are coated with a thin brown film, as are numerous other marble fragments from the Parthenon. The strange brown film was initially examined by the British Museum in 1830. At that time, efforts were made to identify if the color originated from ancient paint, but it was eventually concluded that it may be an outcome of a chemical reaction between the marble and the air, or that the marble included iron particles that had actually migrated to the surface, coloring it brown.Oxalic Acid, Algae and Fungi” There have been numerous attempts to explain the peculiar brown film. In 1851, German chemist, Justus von Liebig, performed the first real scientific examination and figured out that the brown film included oxalates– salts of oxalic acid. This has been verified by later analyses, but the origin of the oxalates has actually remained a secret,” says Professor Kaare Lund Rasmussen, a professional in chemical analyses of historic and historical artifacts.Along with University of Southern Denmark associates Frank Kjeldsen and Vladimir Gorshkov from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bodil Bundgaard Rasmussen, former head of the Antiquities Collection at the National Museum, Thomas Delbey from Cranfield University in England, and Ilaria Bonaduce from the University of Pisa, Italy, he has actually published a scientific post explaining the results of their investigations into the brown-colored centaur head from the National Museum. The short article is published in the journal Heritage Science.” We particularly desired to take a look at whether the brown film could have been formed by some biological organism, such as lichen, fungis, algae, or germs. This theory had actually been suggested before, however no particular organism had been identified. The very same chooses the theory that it might be residues of used paint– perhaps to secure or tone the marble surface area,” states Kaare Lund Rasmussen.How the centaur head pertained to DenmarkThe centaur head, together with another head from the Parthenon temple, concerned Denmark in 1688 as a gift to King Christian V. It was brought by the Danish captain Moritz Hartmand, who served in the Venetian fleet and existed during the bombardment of the Acropolis in Athens in 1687. A considerable part of the Parthenon temple was destroyed. The Centaur Head was put in the Royal Kunstkammer, which later ended up being the National Museum, where it has actually been displayed ever since.For their investigations, the research study group was enabled to take five little samples from the back of the centaur head. These samples went through various analyses in SDUs laboratories, including protein analysis and so-called Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry.” We discovered no traces of biological matter in the brown layers– only from our own fingerprints and possibly a bird egg that broke on the marble in ancient times. This does not prove that there never ever was a biological compound, however it significantly decreases the likelihood, making the theory of a biological organism less possible now,” states Kaare Lund Rasmussen.Similarly, it is now less probably that the marble surface area was painted or preserved, according to the researchers, who also particularly searched for traces of paint. Ancient paints were generally based upon natural items such as eggs, milk, and bones, and no traces of such active ingredients were discovered in the brown stain alone.The Mystery RemainsThrough their examinations, the research study team also discovered that the brown movie consists of 2 different layers. These two layers are roughly similarly thick, around 50 micrometers each, and they vary in terms of trace component structure. Nevertheless, both layers consist of a mix of the oxalate minerals weddellite and whewellite. The reality that there are 2 unique layers refutes the theory that they were created by the migration of material, such as iron particles, from the interior of the marble. It also opposes the theory that they arised from a response with the air.Air pollution is also unlikely for another reason; the centaur head has actually been indoors in Copenhagen given that before the modern-day industrialization began in the 18th century. This makes the heads at the National Museum especially valuable compared to the marble pieces on the Acropolis, of which some have just recently been brought inside your home.” As there are 2 different brown layers with different chemical structures, it is most likely that they have different origins. This might recommend that somebody used paint or a conservation treatment, however since we have not found traces of such substances, the brown color stays a secret,” concludes Kaare Lund Rasmussen.Reference: “Analyses of the brown stain on the Parthenon Centaur head in Denmark” by Kaare Lund Rasmussen, Bodil Bundgaard Rasmussen, Thomas Delbey, Ilaria Bonaduce, Frank Kjeldsen and Vladimir Gorshkov, 16 January 2024, Heritage Science.DOI: 10.1186/ s40494-023-01126-9.