{"id":3910,"date":"2026-03-03T19:12:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T17:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/archaeovision.eu\/?p=3910"},"modified":"2026-03-03T19:12:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T17:12:15","slug":"digital-imaging-for-pyu-epigraphy-rti-and-photogrammetry-for-the-pyu-corpus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archaeovision.eu\/en\/projects\/digital-imaging-for-pyu-epigraphy-rti-and-photogrammetry-for-the-pyu-corpus\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Imaging for Pyu Epigraphy: RTI and Photogrammetry for the Pyu Corpus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In November 2016, Archaeovision undertook a programme of digital imaging in support of two parallel research projects examining the inscriptions and material culture associated with the Pyu urban tradition of Myanmar. The work formed a technical contribution to both the Pyu epigraphy sub\u2011project<\/strong> (PI: Nathan W. Hill, SOAS University of London) within the ERC Synergy Grant \u2018Beyond Boundaries: Religion, Region, Language and the State\u2019 (ASIA 609823)<\/strong>, and the EFEO\u2011led project \u2018From Vijayapuri to Sriksetra? The Beginnings of Buddhist Exchange across the Bay of Bengal as Witnessed by Inscriptions from Andhra Pradesh and Myanmar\u2019<\/em> (PI: Arlo Griffiths), funded by The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim of the 2016 campaign was clear: produce Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI)<\/strong>, high-resolution images using raking light, <\/strong>and high\u2011resolution photogrammetry<\/strong> of inscriptions and carved stone to support ongoing editorial, linguistic, and archaeological research. The digital outputs were aligned with the publication infrastructure established by the Corpus of Pyu Inscriptions<\/a>, Studies in Pyu Epigraphy I<\/em> (BEFEO 103, 2017)<\/a>, and Studies in Pyu Epigraphy II<\/em> (Journal of Burma Studies, 2024)<\/a>, forming part of a long\u2011term scholarly dataset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research Framework and Collaborative Context<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Pyu inscriptions form a multilingual corpus spanning Pyu, Pali, and Sanskrit. Their reading requires careful integration of philology, epigraphy, archaeology, and digital methods. Archaeovision\u2019s work sat within this wider collaborative structure, providing imaging datasets intended for reuse in editorial and analytical tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ERC Beyond Boundaries<\/strong> sub\u2011project, led by Nathan W. Hill<\/strong>, focused on the linguistic and philological dimensions of the inscriptions, requiring high\u2011fidelity surface documentation to confirm letterforms, resolve ambiguities, and support re\u2011edition. In parallel, the EFEO \/ Ho Family Foundation<\/strong> project led by Arlo Griffiths<\/strong> examined connections between the Pyu inscriptions and epigraphic material in Andhra Pradesh. These frameworks and publication metadata are reflected in BEFEO 103<\/a> and the Corpus of Pyu Inscriptions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anchoring Publications and Digital Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Studies in Pyu Epigraphy I (BEFEO 103, 2017)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Authored by Arlo Griffiths, Bob Hudson, Marc Miyake, and Julian Wheatley<\/strong>, this volume provides the state\u2011of\u2011the\u2011field overview, the edition of the Kan Wet Khaung Mound inscription<\/strong>, and an inventory of Pyu inscriptions with stable identifiers. It is available open\u2011access via Zenodo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies in Pyu Epigraphy II (Journal of Burma Studies, 2024)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This second major publication, by Marc Miyake and Julian Wheatley<\/strong>, analyses Pyu inscriptions on moulded tablets<\/strong> and outlines a way forward for this subset of the corpus. It is accessible via Project MUSE<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corpus of Pyu Inscriptions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The fully digital, EpiDoc\u2011encoded Corpus of Pyu Inscriptions<\/strong><\/a> provides metadata, transliterations, repository details, and imagery for the corpus. Archaeovision aligned its outputs directly with these catalogue identifiers to ensure traceability and long\u2011term reuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Objectives of the Digital Imaging Programme<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Archaeovision\u2019s work focused on producing imaging datasets that would:<\/p>\n\n\n\n