Multispectral Imaging for Historical Artifacts: A Case Study Using an 8th-Century Biblical Scroll

Abstract

Many objects of interest in cultural heritage, such as manuscripts, scrolls, and books are faded, damaged, or otherwise unreadable so that useful studies of them are difficult. Fortunately, modern imaging tools, including sensors, lenses, and illumination sources have leveraged multispectral imaging as an accessible method for cultural heritage imaging which has, in turn, increased the demand for its use. To address this, the Rochester Institute of Technology received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PR-268783-20) to develop a low-cost, portable imaging system with processing software that could be utilized by scholars accessing collections in library, archive, and museum settings, as well as staff working within these institutions. This article gives an overview of this system and uses an 8th-century Hebrew manuscript as a case study to demonstrate the impact of such a low-cost, low barrier-to-entry system on cultural heritage research, preservation, and dissemination.