This study presents a machine learning-based method for automatically detecting hidden writings and mapping material variations in large-scale wall paintings. Reflectance spectra from wall paintings in Mogao Cave 465, a UNESCO World Heritage site, were analyzed using a Kohonen Self-Organizing Map (SOM) clustering algorithm. This allowed for material identification at inaccessible heights by comparing spectra to accessible areas in the same cluster. Combining material identification, palaeographic analysis of Sanskrit writings, and archaeological evidence, the study narrows down the date of Cave 465 paintings to the late 12th to 13th centuries.
Publisher
Scientific Reports
Published On
Nov 09, 2020
Authors
Sotiria Kogou, Golnaz Shahtahmassebi, Andrei Lucian, Haida Liang, Biwen Shui, Wenyuan Zhang, Bomin Su, Sam van Schaik
Tags
machine learning
wall paintings
Mogao Cave 465
material identification
Kohonen Self-Organizing Map
palaeographic analysis
Sanskrit writings
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