UV light reveals that the ancient Greeks were rather more festive than first presumed

[Groundhog]

Ultraviolet light reveals how ancient Greek statues really looked

Ultraviolet light reveals how ancient Greek statues really looked
Original Greek statues were brightly painted, but after thousands of years, those paints have worn away. Find out how shining a light on the statues can be all that's required to see them as they were thousands of years ago.
Although it seems impossible to think that anything could be left to discover after thousands of years of wind, sun, sand, and art students, finding the long lost patterns on a piece of ancient Greek sculpture can be as easy as shining a lamp on it. A technique called ‘raking light' has been used to analyze art for a long time. A lamp is positioned carefully enough that the path of the light is almost parallel to the surface of the object. When used on paintings, this makes brushstrokes, grit, and dust obvious. On statues, the effect is more subtle. Brush-strokes are impossible to see, but because different paints wear off at different rates, the stone is raised in some places – protected from erosion by its cap of paint – and lowered in others. Elaborate patterns become visible.
Ultraviolet is also used to discern patterns. UV light makes many organic compounds fluoresce. Art dealers use UV lights to check if art has been touched up, since older paints have a lot of organic compounds and modern paints have relatively little. On ancient Greek statues, tiny fragments of pigment still left on the surface glow bright, illuminating more detailed patterns.

Once the pattern is mapped, there is still the problem of figuring out which paint colors to use. A series of dark blues will create a very different effect than gold and pink. Even if enough pigment is left over so that the naked eye can make out a color, a few thousand years can really change a statue's complexion. There's no reason to think that color seen today would be anything like the hues the statues were originally painted.
There is a way around this dilemma. The colors may fade over time, but the original materials – plant and animal-derived pigments, crushed stones or shells – still look the same today as they did thousands of years ago. This can also be discovered using light.
Infrared and X-ray spectroscopy can help researchers understand what the paints are made of, and how they looked all that time ago. Spectroscopy relies on the fact that atoms are picky when it comes to what kind of incoming energy they absorb. Certain materials will only accept certain wavelengths of light. Everything else they reflect. Spectroscopes send out a variety of wavelengths, like scouts into a foreign land. Inevitably, a few of these scouts do not come back. By noting which wavelengths are absorbed, scientists can determine what materials the substance is made of. Infrared helps determine organic compounds. X-rays, because of their higher energy level, don't stop for anything less than the heavier elements, like rocks and minerals. Together, researchers can determine approximately what color a millennia-old statue was painted.
The color? Always something tacky.

[DaddyTorgo]

as a history major - cool

not surprising - nobody really thought they weren't colored at all anymore i don't think, but cool to read about and see how they can actually get at what the original colors were

[Swaggs]

Pretty cool.

[Noop]

When I saw UV light I thought it was about human dna being everywhere in one of those temples.

[MacroGuru]

Alright as a history buff...this is very cool.

[Schmidty]

Originally Posted by Noop

When I saw UV light I thought it was about human dna being everywhere in one of those temples.

Me too.

[tyketime]

Originally Posted by Noop

When I saw UV light I thought it was about human dna being everywhere in one of those temples.

Me three...

[Ksyrup]

Me four. I almost didn't want to click on this thread.

[Huckleberry]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Me four. I almost didn't want to click on this thread.

And yet you made the sacrifice anyway.

[Ksyrup]

Well, I'm Greek, so I have a vested interest in finding out what other ancient stereotypes I'm going to have to deal with.

[Greyroofoo]

Well I must say your ancient archer is looking rather fabulous!

[Sgran]

This discovery wasn't much of a surprise -- it's more that our textbooks fail to mention it. In Knossos they've reconstructed some of the edifices in color, and they're colorful. By the way, Crete was one of the best vacations I've ever had. If you like ancient history, then there's no better place. Plus the weather is awesome -- safest beach vacation bet there is.

[molson]

Not the first time I was blown away but how colorful things really were back in the day - it seems we only embraced drabness once we obtained the ability to record color on film.

[AlexB]

I didn't realise this until 2-3 of years ago when in Egypt one of the temples in the Valley of the Kings was being mantained/cleaned, and chatting with the people they explained all about the colours, and showed me where they had cleaned the dirt on the roof, and the colours it unveiled (one of the advantages of being a nosy solo traveller and not a group!)

Since then I've looked for the colours in older ruins (Rome, Greece, etc), and in areas sheltered from exposure to the elements there's often a surprising amount of colour still there.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

We had a lively discussion about this back in Art History class and the general consensus was that they look better & more stately with the paint removed.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Noop

When I saw UV light I thought it was about human dna being everywhere in one of those temples.

ME too. And as someone with a degree in history I think a temple splattered with DNA like a cheap motel room would have been much cooler.

[Ksyrup]

Alexander the Great was SHOOTING BLANKS!

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by M GO BLUE!!!

We had a lively discussion about this back in Art History class and the general consensus was that they look better & more stately with the paint removed.

Looking at these painted sculptures, I agree with this. The super colourful painted ones don't look nearly as cool as the grey ones.