How to Erase Writing According to Recipes from the Arab World: Replication and Analytical Report - dataset: analyses of erased samples

Multi analytical dataset of erased mockup samples, supporting the publication: "How to Erase Writing According to Recipes from the Arab World: Replication and Analytical Report".
The results are published in:  Colini C., Marotta G., Sathiyamani S., Yañez Langner V., Muller A., Grigoriadou K., Yu C., How to Erase Writing According to Recipes from the Arab World: Replication and Analytical Report, in Cammarosano, M. (ed.) Erasing and Rewriting in Manuscript Cultures: Practices of Text Obliteration and Manuscript Reuse in a Global Perspective, Studies in Manuscript cultures, 48, De Gruyter, 2025 

The samples were first examined and imaged using a three-colour Dino-Lite USB digital microscope (model AD413T-I2V), in combination with an external white-light source, to document any visible change in the sample after applying the erasing methods.

μ-XRF measurements: Spatial maps of a selection of samples were acquired using a Bruker M6 Jetstream scanner with a
Rh X-ray tube, a 60 mm2 Xflash SDD detector, and an adjustable measuring spot ranging from 100 to 1000 μm. The measurements were conducted at 35 kV voltage and 800 μA current, with a spot size of 35 μm, an acquisition time of 100 ms per spot, and a step size of 100 μm. The data was subjected to further analysis on the instrument’s software.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra were acquired using a Nicolet iS5 FTIR spectrometer in combination with the iD7 ATR (attenuated total reflectance) module, equipped with a diamond crystal. The spectra were acquired in the range 4000–400 cm-1 with a total of sixty-four scans per measurement and a spectral resolution of 4 cm-1. The measurements were performed on both the
erased and non-erased areas of a selection of samples, in order to determine the
presence of residues, including organic components not detectable using μ-XRF spectroscopy. In specific cases, the reference spectrum of the ingredients was taken to facilitate comparison.

The data labelling follows the CSMC Artefact Profiling Lab Standardised System for the Labelling of Analytical Data  (https://doi.org/10.25592/uhhfdm.14853)