Currently, researchers are using FTIR spectroscopy (Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy) to determine the age of seventeenth-century paper.

This research is part of The Paper Cycle project, which seeks to expand scholarly knowledge of the paper used in Iceland in earlier times. The age determination is conducted in collaboration with the Academy of Fine Arts in Austria.

Historical paper often features watermarks that help identify its origin and age. However, when these watermarks are missing or unclear, alternative methods are required. To address this, the project employs scientific techniques to determine the paper's age.

One such method is FTIR spectroscopy (Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy), which analyzes molecular vibrations when exposed to a specific amount of energy. This process generates a curve that reveals the paper's chemical composition and the degradation of its molecules—key indicators of its age. Importantly, this technique is non-destructive and requires no physical sampling.