| Abstract
| - The Vinland Map has been proposed to date to the mid-fifteenth century and is significant in showing the northAtlantic area of what is now North America about 50 yearsbefore the voyages of Columbus. It has been confirmedby radiocarbon dating that the map was drawn on afifteenth century parchment; however, controversy regarding the ink of the map has persisted. Analytical studiesof the ink of the map have been interpreted to show thatthe map is a twentieth century forgery because of thepresence of carbon and anatase in the ink. However,carbon is known to have been added to medieval irongallotannate inks, and the presence of anatase in amedieval ink can be explained by examining the processof making medieval inks.
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