We are pleased to announce the award of a KölnAlumni grant of €4500 for the purchase of digital imaging equipment! Advanced photographic technology is vitally needed for two current research collaborations involving difficult-to-read ancient text-objects.
Magica Levantina deals with Greek magical texts from the ancient Near East dating roughly from 100 to 600 AD. Most of them are inscribed on lead and selenite. Poor preservation and complex material properties make these texts notoriously challenging to read.
The imaging equipment is also being used for renewed study of the Herculaneum Papyri in Naples. With the addition of multispectral capability, the contrast between dark ink and the carbonized papyrus surface are enhanced and details of the surface structure are dramatically fleshed out with the images this equipment will provide.
The primary capture method for which the photographic system will be used is Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI). As a type of relatively new computational photography, RTI presents a major step forward in advanced digital imaging technologies; its high resolution visualisations give the appearance of 3D together with other tools for enhancing the visibility of writing and other surface features, such as virtual relighting and a range of rending modes.
Thanks to the generosity of the “KölnAlumni – Freunde und Förderer der Universität zu Köln e.V.”, this equipment will also provide important advanced imaging technology infrastructure for other researchers at the CCeH, the Institut für Altertumskunde (IfA) and other institutions at the University of Cologne working on both written culture and other heritage materials.
For another blog post on “Day of Archaeology” see “Digital Magic For Magical Texts“