3D Capture, Representation and Manipulation of Cuneiform Tablets

This paper will present the digital imaging results of a collaborative research project working toward the generation of an on-line interactive digital image database of signs from ancient cuneiform tablets. An important aim of this project is to enable the forensic analysis of the cuneiform symbols to identify scribal hands.The paper will describe the challenges encountered in the 2D digital image capture of a sample set of tablets held in the British Museum, explaining the reasons for attempting 3D imaging and the results of initial experiments.