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A multispectral, multidirectional, portable and dome-shaped acquisition system is developed within the framework of the research projects RICH (KU Leuven) and EES (RMAH, Brussels) in collaboration with the ESAT-VISICS research group (KU Leuven). The multispectral Portable Light Dome (MS PLD) consists of a hemispherical structure, an overhead camera and LEDs emitting in five parts of the electromagnetic spectrum regularly covering the dome's inside surface. With the associated software solution, virtual relighting and enhancements can be applied in a real-time, interactive manner. The system extracts genuine 3D and shading information based on a photometric stereo algorithm. This innovative approach allows for instantaneous alternations between the computations in the infrared, red, green, blue and ultraviolet spectra. The MS PLD system has been tested for research ranging from medieval manuscript illuminations to ancient Egyptian artefacts. Preliminary results have shown that it documents and measures the 3D surface structure of objects, re-visualises underdrawings, faded pigments and inscriptions, and examines the MS results in combination with the actual relief characteristics of the physical object. Newly developed features are reflection maps and histograms, analytic visualisations of the reflection properties of all separate LEDs or selected areas. In its capacity as imaging technology, the system acts as a tool for the analysis of surface materials (e.g. identification of blue pigments, gold and metallic surfaces). Besides offering support in answering questions of attribution and monitoring changes and decay of materials, the PLD also contributes to the identification of materials, all essential factors when making decisions in the conservation protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the features of the execration figurines displayed at the Royal Museum of Art and History (RMAH) in Brussels, Belgium. It mentions that the figurines were discovered at Saqqara in the 1920s and is comprised of over a hundred units and three small rectangular coffins made from unfired clay. It adds that the figurines were chosen as a case study for the Egyptian Execration Statuettes Project of the RMAH aimed to develop the Multispectral Portable Light Dome (MS PLD).

Abstract A collection of Prime Cultural Heritage artefacts consisting of Egyptian late Middle Kingdom figurines (c. 1850–1700 BCE), made of unfired clay and covered in inscriptions, is kept at the Royal Museums of Art and History (RMAH) in Brussels, Belgium. Several of these hieratic inscriptions curse enemies of the Egyptian state, including Canaanite, Nubian and Libyan entities; thus providing invaluable information for Middle Bronze topography in ancient Near Eastern studies. What makes the extensive Brussels group even more exceptional, is the fact that these figurines were discovered in a closed archaeological context in Saqqara, Lower Egypt. Defining and classifying clay and ancient ceramic provenance groups in Egypt is highly complex due to variability in Nile and marl clay deposits. Chemical characterization of this figurine assemblage (n = 91) allows to effectively study the potential direct use of clays in the vicinity of Saqqara and characterize the nature of the raw materials used. Additionally, it aims to assess the validity of portable XRF spectrometry for this type of materials and its provenance resolution. Analyses show that very similar clays were used to produce the different morphological types of figurines in the assemblage. The chemical profile indicates the use of a mixed source at Saqqara rather than pure marl or Nile clays, which are common for ancient pottery production. Highlights • The unfired clay figurines are attributed to Nile silt clay sources enriched in calcium carbonates from Saqqara. • Geochemical characterization of prime cultural heritage artefacts from ancient Saqqara • Determination of a chemical fingerprint and local Saqqara origin for unfired clay objects • pXRF as a suitable comparative tool to determine Egyptian marl and Nile silts deposits and clay-based objects • No correspondence between figurine typology and chemical group signatures indicate no specialized production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]