X-ray technology reveals a hidden library
Next » « PreviousThe Great Parchment Book project through interdisciplinary research has allowed researchers to digitally explore the contents of a badly damaged and distorted manuscript. Recently, we’ve come across another collaborative project which has allowed researchers to digitally leaf through invisible pages and gain access to a hidden library.
Early-modern books contain hidden treasure: fragments cut from medieval manuscripts placed inside bindings to reinforce the textblock and to provide support for the binding. In his blog Medieval Books, Dr Erik Kwakkel from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands looks at how to gain access to the fragments using the Macro X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (MA-XRF) technology developed by Joris Dik and his team at Delft University in collaboration with industrial, academic and museum partners.
The blog post – X-Rays Expose a Hidden Medieval Library – gives an exclusive look behind-the-scenes at the process, and discusses the challenges and opportunities it presents for the future.
2 thoughts on “X-ray technology reveals a hidden library”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Thank you Philippa for so continually providing us with these fascinating insights into such valuable emerging technological uses. May you enjoy the fast-arriving festive season. Kind regards from ray in oz.
Thank you Ray – great to hear that our blog continues to entertain and inform round the globe! Best wishes to you too, Philippa