Abstract
The textual evidence from ancient Judah is mainly limited to ostraca, ink-on-clay inscriptions. Their facsimiles (binary depictions) are indispensable for further analysis. Previous attempts at mechanizing the creation of facsimiles have been problematic. Here, we present a proof of concept of objective binary image acquisition, via Raman mapping. Our method is based on a new peak detection transform, handling the challenging fluorescence of the clay, and circumventing preparatory ink composition analysis. A sequence of binary mappings (signifying the peaks) is created for each wavelength; their legibility reflects the prominence of Raman lines. Applied to a biblical-period ostracon, the method exhibits high statistical significance.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 459-469 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Archaeometry |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - 2019 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The research reported here received initial funding from the Israel Science Foundation—F.I.R.S. T. (Bikura) Individual Grant no. 644/08, as well as the Israel Science Foundation Grant no. 1457/13. The research was also funded by the European Research Council under the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC grant agreement no. 229418, and by an Early Israel grant (New Horizons project), Tel Aviv University. This study was also supported by a generous donation from Mr Jacques Chahine, made through the French Friends of Tel Aviv University. Arie Shaus is grateful to the Azrieli Foundation for the award of an Azrieli Fellowship. We would also like to acknowledge the indispensable assistance of the late Professor Itzhak Beit-Arieh; as well as the kind help of Ms Sivan Einhorn, Dr Shirly Ben-Dor Evian, Mrs Liora Freud, Mrs Shira Faigenbaum-Golovin and Mrs Myrna Pollak. We would like to thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their constructive remarks.
Funding Information:
The research reported here received initial funding from the Israel Science Foundation?F.I.R.S.T. (Bikura) Individual Grant no. 644/08, as well as the Israel Science Foundation Grant no. 1457/13. The research was also funded by the European Research Council under the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC grant agreement no. 229418, and by an Early Israel grant (New Horizons project), Tel Aviv University. This study was also supported by a generous donation from Mr Jacques Chahine, made through the French Friends of Tel Aviv University. Arie Shaus is grateful to the Azrieli Foundation for the award of an Azrieli Fellowship. We would also like to acknowledge the indispensable assistance of the late Professor Itzhak Beit-Arieh; as well as the kind help of Ms Sivan Einhorn, Dr Shirly Ben-Dor Evian, Mrs Liora Freud, Mrs Shira Faigenbaum-Golovin and Mrs Myrna Pollak. We would like to thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their constructive remarks.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 University of Oxford
Keywords
- biblical archaeology
- facsimile
- high fluorescence
- implicit and posterior composition analysis
- ostracon
- peak transform
- Raman mapping