Revealing the biography of a hidden medieval manuscript using synchrotron and conventional imaging techniques. Pouyet, E., Devine, S., Grafakos, T., Kieckhefer, R., Salvant, J., Smieska, L., Woll, A., Katsaggelos, A., Cossairt, O., & Walton, M. Analytica Chimica Acta, 982:20–30, Elsevier, aug, 2017.
Revealing the biography of a hidden medieval manuscript using synchrotron and conventional imaging techniques [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
Reading the content of hidden texts from ancient manuscripts has become an increasingly important endeavor thanks to the variety of non-destructive analytical tools and image processing routines available for this task. In this study, portable macro X-Ray Fluorescence (MA-XRF-tube), Visible Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) together with Synchrotron based macro X-Ray Fluorescence (MA-XRF-SR) are combined with signal processing methods to reveal the biography of a degraded manuscript recycled as binding material for a 16th century printed edition of Hesiod's Works and Days. The analytical techniques allow visualizing the hidden text, revealing passages from the Institutes Justinian, a 6th century A.D codification of the Roman Law, with further marginal comments on medieval Canon Law. In addition, the identification of the materials (e.g. pigments, inks) part of the original manuscript together with their sequence of use are revealed: i) the preparation of the parchment using a Ca-based preparation layer, ii) drawing of ruled guide lines, using a Pb-based pen or ink, iii) writing of the main text using a rich Fe-gall ink with modulating color pigments (Hg-, Cu- and Pb- based) and iv) addition of two types of comments to the main text, one of the ink used for the comments being a Fe-gall ink rich in Cu.
@article{pouyet2017revealing,
abstract = {Reading the content of hidden texts from ancient manuscripts has become an increasingly important endeavor thanks to the variety of non-destructive analytical tools and image processing routines available for this task. In this study, portable macro X-Ray Fluorescence (MA-XRF-tube), Visible Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) together with Synchrotron based macro X-Ray Fluorescence (MA-XRF-SR) are combined with signal processing methods to reveal the biography of a degraded manuscript recycled as binding material for a 16th century printed edition of Hesiod's Works and Days. The analytical techniques allow visualizing the hidden text, revealing passages from the Institutes Justinian, a 6th century A.D codification of the Roman Law, with further marginal comments on medieval Canon Law. In addition, the identification of the materials (e.g. pigments, inks) part of the original manuscript together with their sequence of use are revealed: i) the preparation of the parchment using a Ca-based preparation layer, ii) drawing of ruled guide lines, using a Pb-based pen or ink, iii) writing of the main text using a rich Fe-gall ink with modulating color pigments (Hg-, Cu- and Pb- based) and iv) addition of two types of comments to the main text, one of the ink used for the comments being a Fe-gall ink rich in Cu.},
author = {Pouyet, E. and Devine, S. and Grafakos, T. and Kieckhefer, R. and Salvant, J. and Smieska, L. and Woll, A. and Katsaggelos, A. and Cossairt, O. and Walton, M.},
doi = {10.1016/j.aca.2017.06.016},
issn = {00032670},
journal = {Analytica Chimica Acta},
keywords = {Data fusion,Hidden manuscript,Hyperspectral,Inverse learning,Synchrotron,X-Ray Fluorescence},
month = {aug},
pages = {20--30},
pmid = {28734360},
publisher = {Elsevier},
title = {{Revealing the biography of a hidden medieval manuscript using synchrotron and conventional imaging techniques}},
url = {https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0003267017307201},
volume = {982},
year = {2017}
}

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