A method for the detection of and deconvolution of a statistically noisy spectrally resolved radiation dataset comprising the steps of: a. placing a radiation detector system into suitable proximity with a test object; collecting radiation data emergent from the test object at the detector; obtaining a spectroscopically resolved measured spectrum count dataset representative of measured flux collected at the detector from the object; a1. resolving count data into values for each of a plurality of energy bins b. determining a nominal true spectrum; b1. computing a statistical fit between the measured spectrum count dataset and the nominal true spectrum; c. for each of the plurality of energy bins in the spectrum count dataset, applying a perturbation to the energy value of the bin, which perturbation is randomly generated but with a predetermined maximum magnitude, to produce a modified energy value, wherein the value of each of the energy bins of the estimate of the true spectrum is perturbed in turn, and producing thereby a modified spectrum count dataset; d. computing a statistical fit between the modified spectrum count dataset with such modified energy values and the nominal true spectrum; d1. comparing the statistical fits computed for the modified and the unmodified spectrum count datasets; e. accepting the modified spectrum count dataset as a better approximation of the true spectrum and replacing the unmodified spectrum count dataset by the modified spectrum count dataset if this comparison indicates an increased statistical fit between the modified spectrum count dataset and the nominal true spectrum, and rejecting the modified spectrum count dataset if this comparison indicates a reduced statistical fit between the modified spectrum count dataset and the nominal true spectrum; f. repeating steps c to e to produce successive modified spectrum count datasets with progressively improved statistical fit to the nominal true spectrum. a. placing a radiation detector system into suitable proximity with a test object; collecting radiation data emergent from the test object at the detector; obtaining a spectroscopically resolved measured spectrum count dataset representative of measured flux collected at the detector from the object; a1. resolving count data into values for each of a plurality of energy bins b. determining a nominal true spectrum; b1. computing a statistical fit between the measured spectrum count dataset and the nominal true spectrum; c. for each of the plurality of energy bins in the spectrum count dataset, applying a perturbation to the energy value of the bin, which perturbation is randomly generated but with a predetermined maximum magnitude, to produce a modified energy value, wherein the value of each of the energy bins of the estimate of the true spectrum is perturbed in turn, and producing thereby a modified spectrum count dataset; d. computing a statistical fit between the modified spectrum count dataset with such modified energy values and the nominal true spectrum; d1. comparing the statistical fits computed for the modified and the unmodified spectrum count datasets; e. accepting the modified spectrum count dataset as a better approximation of the true spectrum and replacing the unmodified spectrum count dataset by the modified spectrum count dataset if this comparison indicates an increased statistical fit between the modified spectrum count dataset and the nominal true spectrum, and rejecting the modified spectrum count dataset if this comparison indicates a reduced statistical fit between the modified spectrum count dataset and the nominal true spectrum; f. repeating steps c to e to produce successive modified spectrum count datasets with progressively improved statistical fit to the nominal true spectrum. <EOS>