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).

Manuscripts

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

Spectra

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:
"Date of the measurement_Name of the instrument_accessory name_no. of scans_name of the manuscript_measurement name.spc"

• Date of the measurement: yyyymmdd
• Name of the instrument: E for ExoScan
• accessory name: DRIFT
• no. of scans: 256
• name of the manuscript: Object No. (see above)
• measurement name: "page image name_page_area_No"
  • page image name: e.g. DSC0015
  • page: no. of measured page and r,v (recto, verso)
  • area: measurement area (leaf, ink, stain...)
  • No: number of measurement (on this page)