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Science Lab

Taking a minute sample of material to be analyzed by the museum's Raman Spectrometer

Taking a minute sample from a painted surface

A minute sample of material ready for analysis by the museum's Raman Spectrometer

One of the steps in the process used by ancient Egyptians to make stable red dye

Researcher Marco Leona views a sample

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Nude Diana

Fat Henry's Armor

Temple of Dendur

Antioch Chalice

Book of the Apocalypse

The Armory

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Why does the Met have a space-age Raman Spectrometer?

How does it help solve age old mysteries?

While Met researchers often examine artifacts with high tech devices, many commonly used tools can damage fragile treasures. Lab director Marco Leona has high hopes for some space age technology developed for Mars exploration: the Raman Spectrometer. This scanner can non-invasively probe any object to provide a fingerprint of its precise chemical composition.

When Met researchers use the Raman Spectrometer to explore the past, what do they find?

The secret is revealed in the premiere broadcast of Museum Secrets: Inside the Met.

Under the Scope

We invite you to meet lab director Marco Leona, and discover how advances in materials science impact historical research in our Web Exclusive Video: Under the Scope.