A detailed examination of the plate at the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne revealed the hidden nature of this weather-ravaged historic pewter plate found at Cape Inscription.
The image of the plate is a combination of the X-rays from lead, copper and zinc. Iron corrosion products flowing over the plate from the original 1697 nails has stripped lead from the tin-lead alloy. The straight lines of low lead (deep blue) areas near 7o’clock reflect movements of the wooden post until it collapsed. The X-ray mapping revealed many cracks especially around the original rim of the bowl where it was hammered flat.
See the X-ray image of the plate below:
The de Vlamingh plate: X-Ray Map
Image copyright WA Museum
