Multispectral imaging to reveal ancient hieroglyphic text in an Egyptian Stele

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the application of Multispectral Imaging combined with statistical algorithms for enhancing hidden patterns to reveal part of the no more readable hieroglyphics in an ancient Egyptian stele. A series of images was taken at different wavelengths of the upper part of the stele S.6145, coming from the archaeological site of Deir El-Medina (Egypt) and currently stored at the Egyptian Museum of Turin (Italy). The analysis of the single images did not allow retrieving the information on the hieroglyphic text. However, the application of Blind Source Separation algorithms allowed to reveal the hidden pattern in a fast and highly efficient way, restoring the correct readability and the value of the artwork itself.