Design of a New Data Structure to Support Non-Invasive Diagnostic on Heritage Metals

Conservation of heritage artifacts is a very sensitive task as conservators usually have very little information about the artifacts. Moreover, due to the uniqueness and the historic value of these artifacts, invasive analysis are not always possible. Therefore, without sampling options, conservators are required to use non-invasive diagnostic methods in order to identify the metal characteristics of the artifact. When confronted with an unknown artifact, conservators generate conceptual models of the corrosion forms. These models are based on formal representations of corrosion forms, but are not directly exploitable for drawing hypotheses regarding the underlying metal. This paper presents the design of a data structure generated from the conceptual models which supports the comparison and retrieval of corresponding artifacts. Integrated with a database of heritage artifacts, this data structure offers advanced decision support to conservators confronted with unknown artifacts

DESIGN OF A NEW DATA STRUCTURE TO SUPPORT NON- INVASIVE DIAGNOSTIC ON HERITAGE METALS

Abstract Conservation of heritage artifacts is a very sensitive task as conservators usually have very little i

An Ontology to Support Non-Invasive Diagnosis of Heritage Metals

Metal conservators confronted with unknown artefacts rely on previous literature to develop treatment protocols. This search can be tedious given the dissemination of information across corpus of unstructured texts, mainly in the form of research papers and semi-structured databases of artefacts. In order to improve the search of artefacts sharing similar characteristics (metal composition and structure, conservation condition, etc.), this project proposes a hybrid search engine based on a domain ontology. Using a database populated with information resulting from comprehensive investigations of historic and archaeological artefacts, we extracted and selected key concepts and their relations through the use a various lexical analysis tools. Based on this corpus and frequency analysis, we were able to build an ontology of the domain, opening new perspective on information retrieval. Conservators are able to leverage the power of the hybrid search engine to compare their observations on a specific artefact with objects already stored in the database or with indexed research papers. Using keywords to describe corrosion forms they are confronted with, conservators can retrieve artefacts showing similar corrosion phenomena and assess the conservation condition of their artefacts, e.g. diagnosing the stability of metals or determining the location of the limit of the original surface in corrosion product crusts

Nuclear Physics for Cultural Heritage

Nuclear physics applications in medicine and energy are well known and widely reported. Less well known are the many important nuclear and related techniques used for the study, characterization, assessment and preservation of cultural heritage. There has been enormous progress in this field in recent years and the current review aims to provide the public with a popular and accessible account of this work. The Nuclear Physics Division of the EPS represents scientists from all branches of nuclear physics across Europe. One of its aims is the dissemination of knowledge about nuclear physics and its applications. This review is led by Division board member Anna Macková, Head of the Tandetron Laboratory at the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and the review committee includes four other members of the nuclear physics board interested in this area: Faiçal Azaiez, Johan Nyberg, Eli Piasetzky and Douglas MacGregor. To create a truly authoritative account, the Scientific Editors have invited contributions from leading experts across Europe, and this publication is the combined result of their work. The review is extensively illustrated with important discoveries and examples from archaeology, pre-history, history, geography, culture, religion and curation, which underline the breadth and importance of this field. The large number of groups and laboratories working in the study and preservation of cultural heritage across Europe indicate the enormous effort and importance attached by society to this activity

TECHNART 2017. Non-destructive and microanalytical techniques in art and cultural heritage. Book of abstracts

440 p.TECHNART2017 is the international biannual congress on the application of Analytical Techniques in Art and Cultural Heritage. The aim of this European conference is to provide a scientific forum to present and promote the use of analytical spectroscopic techniques in cultural heritage on a worldwide scale to stimulate contacts and exchange experiences, making a bridge between science and art. This conference builds on the momentum of the previous TECHNART editions of Lisbon, Athens, Berlin, Amsterdam and Catania, offering an outstanding and unique opportunity for exchanging knowledge on leading edge developments. Cultural heritage studies are interpreted in a broad sense, including pigments, stones, metal, glass, ceramics, chemometrics on artwork studies, resins, fibers, forensic applications in art, history, archaeology and conservation science. The meeting is focused in different aspects: - X-ray analysis (XRF, PIXE, XRD, SEM-EDX). - Confocal X-ray microscopy (3D Micro-XRF, 3D Micro-PIXE). - Synchrotron, ion beam and neutron based techniques/instrumentation. - FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy. - UV-Vis and NIR absorption/reflectance and fluorescence. - Laser-based analytical techniques (LIBS, etc.). - Magnetic resonance techniques. - Chromatography (GC, HPLC) and mass spectrometry. - Optical imaging and coherence techniques. - Mobile spectrometry and remote sensing

WORKING TOGETHER Conservation and safeguarding of industrial and technological heritage

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Aiding the conservation of two wooden Buddhist sculptures with 3D imaging and spectroscopic techniques

The conservation of Buddhist sculptures that were transferred to Europe at some point during their lifetime raises numerous questions: while these objects historically served a religious, devotional purpose, many of them currently belong to museums or private collections, where they are detached from their original context and often adapted to western taste. A scientific study was carried out to address questions from Museo d'Arte Orientale of Turin curators in terms of whether these artifacts might be forgeries or replicas, and how they may have transformed over time. Several analytical techniques were used for materials identification and to study the production technique, ultimately aiming to discriminate the original materials from those added within later interventions

A non-destructive technical and stylistic comparative analysis of selected metal artefacts from the Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History

The destructive nature of conventional analytical techniques, coupled with the finite nature of ancient/historical artefacts, has long restricted technical examinations of museum collections, mainly due to ethical constraints. However, over the past few decades, the application of Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) techniques has become increasingly popular within the fields of archaeology and cultural heritage diagnostics. The application of such techniques has facilitated the examination of objects that have long remained uninvestigated. However, this positive development also held a slight drawback, in that researchers tend to now focus on technical analyses alone, while excluding more traditional means of analyses, such as comparative stylistic analysis and surface investigation. By employing a combination of stylistic analysis, visual surface investigation (by means of SLR photography and digital microscopy) and nuclear imaging (by means of Microfocus X-Ray Computed Tomography), the thesis sets out to justify the application of mixed methodologies as part of a more holistic integrated authentication approach. Thus stated, the thesis presents a mixed-methodological approach towards the analysis of selected metal objects from the Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History in Pretoria, South Africa. The objects under investigation include a small collection of ancient Egyptian bronze statuettes, a Samurai helmet (kabuto) and mask (menpó), a European gauntlet, and an Arabian dagger (jambiya/khanjar). While all the objects are curated as part of the museum’s archaeology and military history collections, the exact production dates, manufacturing techniques and areas of origin remain a mystery. By using a combination of techniques, the thesis aims to identify diagnostic features that can be used to shed light on their relative age, culturo-chronological framework and, by extension, their authenticity.Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studie