Multispectral imaging

Photographing a surface in many bands of light to bring out what the eye cannot see.

A document or object photographed in a series of narrow bands from ultraviolet to infrared, and the images combined to separate inks, reveal erased text or show pigments. It recovered the Archimedes Palimpsest's lower text and is the way the Voynich Manuscript's inks and corrections are studied. Every image is a measurement, so a claimed reading made from one should be checkable in the same bands.

Where it comes up

Archimedes Palimpsest

Multispectral imaging and X-ray fluorescence together recovered the Archimedes undertext on every surviving leaf, including under the forged paintings, to a standard that supports a full transcription.

Multispectral imaging and X-ray fluorescence together recovered the Archimedes undertext on every surviving…Archimedes Palimpsest digital release: registered multispectral images and XRF maps

Cite it

Mysteries Department. (2026). Multispectral imaging [Concept CPT0DECW04XSKZP]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/CPT0DECW04XSKZP

@misc{mysteriesdept_cpt0decw04xskzp,
  title     = {Multispectral imaging},
  author    = {{Mysteries Department}},
  year      = {2026},
  note      = {Concept, catalog key CPT0DECW04XSKZP},
  url       = {https://mysteriesdept.com/r/CPT0DECW04XSKZP}
}