Computed tomography in use for researching prehistoric artifacts

Millions of years in the past

X-ray-based computed tomography is often used when quality engineers want to take a non-destructive look inside complex assemblies. Thanks to its high radiation energy, it is also suitable for very dense materials, while at the same time offering very high resolutions. Reason enough to try out the technology on fossilized objects. With success, as a look outside the box proves.

What do you do if you are a scientist and want to analyze the skull bones of a lion around the inner ear? One option: you take the skull of a dead lion, saw it open and look inside. But what if the skull to be examined is millions of years old and is also an irretrievable unique specimen? Sawing it up is probably out of the question.

For the highly accurate digitization of the unique research objects, a TomoScope® XS Plus with a new sub-microfocus tube is used, which was jointly financed by funds from the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art (HMWK, as part of the ERDF) and the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung's own funds (including SOSA).

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