Remnant dye on an excavated textile has been identified using a Fourier transform infrared microscope on a scale far below that which is possible by extractive techniques. The sample requires minimal preparation, a single fibre being sufficient to obtain a useful signal. A spectral data library of fibre, dyes and mordants has been built into the computer analysis program and four separate algorithms within the search facility are used to make the identification. The method is quick and may avoid some of the problems caused by masking of the infrared signal due to sample contamination during burial.
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Gillard et al. (1994) studied this question.
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