Pallimpsiston texts

National Gallery (Athens)

Multispectral capabilities have been used to investigate the so-called Pallimpsiston texts in the National Gallery of Athens. According to the interpretation, the depicted text is a written agreement between a man and his mistress. The contract stipulates that in the event of his death, the mistress will inherit his house.

Due to the deterioration and darkening of this piece of parchment, it is difficult to distinguish the text from the background. When the document is viewed in infrared (between 700 and 950 nm) the ink absorbs the infrared radiation whereas the parchment reflects it. The resulting high contrast between text and background increases the legibility and facilitates the interpretation of the text. See the infrared imaging in the picture beneath.

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