The primary scope of the Qumran Science Center is to treat Qumran's architecture, archaeology, its manuscripts and its cemetery-and every related topic-in a holistic way to answer some of the 60 years-old questions that have remained unanswered to date due to preconceived ideas regarding the character of the Qumran site
The website is divided into the following topics that are Nuclear, Optical, Chemical, Biological, Geological, Computerized Palaeographical and Restorative of character
NUCLEAR
- Neutron Activation Analysis applied to Qumran pottery, textile, ostraca, parchment, ink and Dead Sea matter
- Radiocarbon dating of textile, Judaean Desert scrolls (Dead Sea scrolls) date-palm matter, rope
- Elemental composition of Dead Sea water and mud and sweet water wells nearby
- Cave dust and bat-droppings
- Thermoluminescence (TL) dating of Qumran pottery, mortar and oven material
- Neutron Tomography of coins
OPTICAL
- Synchrotron-based micro-XRF and XRD, micro-Xanes and micro-Computed Tomography of parchment, ink and papyrus and textile
- Raman Spectroscopy and FT-IR (Fourrier Transformed Infra Red) applied to textiles and dyes
- Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) applied to textiles and dyes
- Synchrotron-based micro-tomography of parchment
- Digital photography and the subsequent translation of Dead Sea manuscripts with reference to Talmud, Gemarah and Mishna in collaboration with M. Kirsten of the Orion Institute at Hebrew University
- High-resolution Multi-Spectral Imaging, some in the visible, some in the invisible range to detect palimpsest and other illegible letters
CHEMICAL
- Chemistry XRF and wet chemistry on metals in connection with the Copper Scroll
- Glass research by XRF
- Electrophoresis of wine and gypsum substrates
BIOLOGICAL
- DNA and Parasitology of parchment sheet, plants and human and animal bones
- Follicle direction of animal hide research to identify parchment of individual scrolls
- Entimology of head lice found in combs and textiles to subtract gut blood for DNA of the carrier
- The Identification of textile dyes by HPLC
- Grape and balsam research, if any
- Floating of soil samples for tiny remains in the flora and fauna
RESTORATION
- Restoration and Conservation of the Qumran site itself as well as all Qumran artefacts with respect to ostraca, textile, glass, metals, skeletons, papyrus and parchment
GEOLOGICAL
- Geology of the Dead Sea area and its cliffs
COMPUTERIZED PALAEOGRAPHY
- Development of decyphering-software helping palaeographic research
- Neutron Activation Analysis applied to Qumran pottery, textile, ostraca, parchment, ink and Dead Sea matter
- Radiocarbon dating of textile, Judaean Desert scrolls (Dead Sea scrolls) date-palm matter, rope
- Elemental composition of Dead Sea water and mud and sweet water wells nearby
- Cave dust and bat-droppings
- Thermoluminescence (TL) dating of Qumran pottery, mortar and oven material
- Neutron Tomography of coins
OPTICAL
- Synchrotron-based micro-XRF and XRD, micro-Xanes and micro-Computed Tomography of parchment, ink and papyrus and textile
- Raman Spectroscopy and FT-IR (Fourrier Transformed Infra Red) applied to textiles and dyes
- Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) applied to textiles and dyes
- Synchrotron-based micro-tomography of parchment
- Digital photography and the subsequent translation of Dead Sea manuscripts with reference to Talmud, Gemarah and Mishna in collaboration with M. Kirsten of the Orion Institute at Hebrew University
- High-resolution Multi-Spectral Imaging, some in the visible, some in the invisible range to detect palimpsest and other illegible letters
CHEMICAL
- Chemistry XRF and wet chemistry on metals in connection with the Copper Scroll
- Glass research by XRF
- Electrophoresis of wine and gypsum substrates
BIOLOGICAL
- DNA and Parasitology of parchment sheet, plants and human and animal bones
- Follicle direction of animal hide research to identify parchment of individual scrolls
- Entimology of head lice found in combs and textiles to subtract gut blood for DNA of the carrier
- The Identification of textile dyes by HPLC
- Grape and balsam research, if any
- Floating of soil samples for tiny remains in the flora and fauna
RESTORATION
- Restoration and Conservation of the Qumran site itself as well as all Qumran artefacts with respect to ostraca, textile, glass, metals, skeletons, papyrus and parchment
GEOLOGICAL
- Geology of the Dead Sea area and its cliffs
COMPUTERIZED PALAEOGRAPHY
- Development of decyphering-software helping palaeographic research