Cost effective adaptable hyperspectral imaging of manuscripts: mapping surface topology variation

Ancient and medieval parchments were frequently reused as covers and binding material bindings for early printed texts due to their durability and the availability of manuscripts considered obsolete. This has persevered texts that may otherwise have been lost at the cost of significant wear and damage which reduces legibility. Additionally, transport of these fragments, especially those still in situ, risks damage and so photographs are all that is generally available without visiting the libraries and repositories where they are preserved. Non-contact imaging techniques are critical to recovering the text from these fragments without causing further damage. We utilize a PryOptik Chromamapper, a portable, low-cost hyperspectral imaging system for the retrieval of ancient and medieval texts due to the enhanced processing that can be done on such datasets. We also demonstrate a technique to construct 3D surfaces of the fragments utilizing hyperspectral datacubes which enables a digital version of the object to be studied as if it were physically present but without the risk of harm to the fragile samples.