Multispectral imaging of two Hieratic inscriptions from Qubur el-Walaydah

Abstract

During the 2010 excavation season, two inscriptions with Hieratic signs written in black ink were found at Qubur el-Walaydah in the coastal plain of southern Israel. Although unearthed recently, a comparison of new color photographs of the inscriptions with those taken shortly after excavation shows that their legibility has already deteriorated. We made images of the inscriptions using multispectral (MS) techniques described by (Faigenbaum, Sober et al. 2012). Notwithstanding the fading of the ink, the MS images signifcantly improved the inscriptions' legibility. In several cases, faded and unrecognizable letters became clearly visible. The new MS photographs, which were essential in deciphering the inscriptions, are presented here.