EMEL TO COLLABORATE WITH MATENADARAN OVER DIGITALIZATION OF MANUSCRIPTS

Lragir, Armenia
Oct 3 2007

The Early Manuscripts Electronic Library will collaborate with
the Institute of Ancient Manuscripts of Armenia, Matenadaran, over
digitalization of palimpsests. News Armenia learned from the press
service of the Academy that this agreement was reached in a meeting
of the president of the Academy of Science Radik Martirosyan and the
director of Matenadaran Hrachia Tamrazyan with the representatives
of EMEL David Cooper and Michael Phelps.

EMEL proposes using the modern subtle encoding system for
digitalization of the originals of palimpsests.

The representatives of the organization introduced the possibilities
of this system and their experience of cooperation, namely with
the library of St. Catherine Monastery (Sinai) and the University of
Aristotle (Thessalonica). The scholars also informed that the scanning
of Archimedes’ palimpsest discovered several works by Archimedes
unknown to science.

The scholars aim to use spectral analysis of ultraviolet and infrared
rays to cut the cost of digitalization.

The rights to the palimpsests are reserved to the Republic of Armenia.

EMEL is ready to start collaboration from mid-2008. For the time
being, it will be studying the type of the parchment or paper, age,
the composition of ink used on separate pages from Matenadaran.

The organization is also ready to train the Armenian specialists who
will be operating the equipment.