We report a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of near-resonance light scattering from a high-density and ultracold atomic 87 Rb gas. The atomic sample, having a peak density ∼5 × 10 13 atoms/cm 3 , temperature ∼65 μK, and initially prepared in the F = 1 lower-energy 87 Rb hyperfine component, is optically pumped to the higher-energy F = 2 hyperfine level. Measurements are made of the transient hyperfine pumping process and of the time evolution of scattering of near-resonance probe radiation on the F = 2 → F = 3 transition. Features of the density, detuning, and temporal dependence of the signals are attributed to the high density and consequent large optical depth of the samples.