FTIR spectra of 11 palm-leaf manuscripts

This dataset was created in the context of the Research Field F (RFF02), Research Field A, and the Palm-Leaf Manuscript Profiling Initiative (PLMPI) at the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC) and Cluster of Excellence ‘Understanding Written Artefacts’ (UWA).

<strong>Manuscripts</strong>

Eleven palm-leaf manuscripts presumably from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Myanmar were measured between 2021 and 2023:

CSMC, Object No. 1/2014

CSMC, Object No. 1/2017
CSMC, Object No. 1/2018
CSMC, Object No. T 12/2021
CSMC, Object No. T 29/2021
CSMC, Object No. T 32/2021
CSMC, Object No. T 33/2021
CSMC, Object No. T 34-1/2021
CSMC, Object No. T 34-2/2021
CSMC, Object No. T add. 6/2021
Private Collection, MS Tamil 1

<strong>Spectra</strong>

The spectra were recorded with the portable FTIR spectrometer 4100 ExoScan (Agilent) in DRIFTS mode. The raw spectra are stored as .spc files together with a documentation protocol file (.pdf) on the exact measuring points.

Spectra file names are structured as follows:<br>
"Date of the measurement_Name of the instrument_accessory name_no. of scans_name of the manuscript_measurement name.spc"

Date of the measurement: <em>yyyymmdd</em>
Name of the instrument: <em>E</em> for ExoScan
accessory name: <em>DRIFT</em>
no. of scans: <em>256</em>
name of the manuscript: <em>Object No.</em> (see above)
measurement name: "page image name_page_area_No"

page image name: e.g.<em> DSC0015</em>
page: <em>no.</em> of measured page and <em>r,v</em> (recto, verso)
area: measurement area (<em>leaf</em>, <em>ink</em>, <em>stain</em>...)
No:<em> number</em> of measurement (on this page)