Restoration of Styrian Roman stones using optical measurement techniques

One of the greatest challenges facing research in ancient history, particularly epigraphy (the study of inscriptions), is making weathered or damaged ancient inscriptions legible again. A combination of optical measurement techniques, in particular multispectral analysis and active thermography – a method in which objects are heated in a targeted manner and the cooling process is observed – could help to reconstruct illegible inscriptions. The successful application of these unconventional methods would represent a significant breakthrough in historical research and would open up ancient inscriptions to new readings and interpretations.