Iron Age Hebrew Ostraca in the Silicon Age - Computerized Paleography

We examine how multispectral imaging can be used to document and improve reading of ancient inscriptions. The research focuses on ostraca, texts written in ink on ceramic potsherds. Three corpora of Hebrew ostraca dating to the Iron Age II were imaged in visible and near infrared light using a state-of-the-art commercial spectral imager. To assess the quality of images, we used a new quality evaluation measure which takes into account various contrast and brightness transformations. We show that there exists a wavelength range where the readability of ostraca is enhanced. Moreover, we show that it is sufficient to use certain bandpass filters to achieve the most favorable image.  The research is described in details  in "Multispectral Images of Ostraca: Acquisition and Analysis", in Journal of Archaeological Science.

Our study paves the way towards a low cost multispectral method of imaging ostraca inscriptions. Based on the results of the research a low cost Multispectral system was build in our lab. TheUsing the system we perform i

It is possiable to conduct Multispectral imaging of an Ostracon in the Tel-Aviv University lab.

Please fill the following form, regarding the ostracon needed to be imaged: (download form)

Please return the form to the address: TauEpigraphyProj at gmail.com