University of Southern California

Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) provides the capacity to view in unprecedented detail the textured surface of an artifact by enabling users to move a virtual light source around a high resolution image in real time in order to illuminate the imaged artifact from any angle. Very few institutions, however, possess the ability to create the source images required. The University of Southern California and its West Semitic Research Project’s InscriptiFact Digital Image Library, and the Archaeology Research Center will establish a training program to empower researchers, scholars, students, archivists, librarians, and museum professionals to carry out field projects involving highly sophisticated and innovative image documentation of ancient texts, artifacts, paintings and other cultural heritage objects. The project will also serve to facilitate the acquisition and distribution of RTI images of ancient inscriptions and artifacts by bringing the images created by the field projects into the InscriptiFact Digital Image Library