Technology developed by Oxford University’s classics department could help reveal the secrets of historical documents. A scanning device that uses different wavelengths of light to detect faded or erased ink can be used for analyzing manuscripts and archived documents, as well as for detecting modern forgeries. The scanner is being commercialized by a new company, Oxford Multi Spectral Ltd., a spin-out firm by Oxford University’s technology transfer company, Isis Innovation.

“The technical leaps we made mean many ancient documents that were previously unreadable can now be scanned and read,” says Dirk Obbink, Ph.D., head of the research group that developed the scanner. “We can set the equipment to interrogate a feature we are interested in: the surface structure, fibers, stains, watermarks, fingerprints, or alterations. We can detect an artist or writer’s signature under multiple layers of paint, or the pencil sketch under a watercolor.”

It could also be used to analyze altered or counterfeit documents such as forged passports, bank notes, or forensic evidence.

 …