Software for Storage and Management of Microclimatic Data for Preventive Conservation of Cultural Heritage

Cultural Heritage preventive conservation requires the monitoring of the parameters involved in the process of deterioration of artworks. Thus, both long-term monitoring of the environmental parameters as well as further analysis of the recorded data are necessary. The long-term monitoring at frequencies higher than 1 data point/day generates large volumes of data that are difficult to store, manage and analyze. This paper presents software which uses a free open source database engine that allows managing and interacting with huge amounts of data from environmental monitoring of cultural heritage sites. It is of simple operation and offers multiple capabilities, such as detection of anomalous data, inquiries, graph plotting and mean trajectories. It is also possible to export the data to a spreadsheet for analyses with more advanced statistical methods (principal component analysis, ANOVA, linear regression, etc.). This paper also deals with a practical application developed for the Renaissance frescoes of the Cathedral of Valencia. The results suggest infiltration of rainwater in the vault and weekly relative humidity changes related with the religious service schedules.This work was partially supported by the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion) under projects HAR2010-21944-C02-01 and HAR2010-21944-C02-02.Fernández Navajas, Á.; Merello Giménez, P.; Beltrán Medina, P.; García Diego, FJ. (2013). Software for Storage and Management of Microclimatic Data for Preventive Conservation of Cultural Heritage. Sensors. 13(3):2700-2718. doi:10.3390/s130302700S2700271813

Caracterización microclimática mediante sensores de humedad y temperatura de obras de arte con fines de conservación preventiva

Tesis por compendio[EN] This PhD dissertation deals with the multivariate statistical analysis of microclimatic data for preventive conservation of cultural heritage in several locations: Ariadne's house (Pompeii, Italy), l'Almoina Archaeological Museum (Valencia, Spain) and mudejar church of Santa Maria in Ateca (Zaragoza, Spain). The main objective of this thesis is to propose a methodology for statistical analysis of microclimatic data which can be extended to curators and restorers. The usefulness of the proposed methodology is shown, as it has been successfully applied to the studied cultural heritage sites. Furthermore, corrective actions have been proposed and taken in accordance with the results obtained from the analysis of data recorded at Ariadne's house and the Archaeological Museum of l'Almoina. The effectiveness of such corrective measures has been evaluated through a second monitoring campaign. In the case of Ariadne's house, two monitoring campaigns were conducted. During the first, in 2008, the analysis of the recorded data showed that the transparent polycarbonate roof installed in the 1970s was causing a greenhouse effect harmful to the conservation of the frescoes. The sensors also helped identifying differences between orientations and heights. Following our recommendations, in 2010 the roofs were changed by some opaque fibrocement and thermo-hygrometric data recorded in a second monitoring campaign allowed us evaluating the adequacy of the corrective actions in configuring a more stable microclimate. The Archaeological Museum of l'Almoina is exposed to passers-by through a skylight that covers part of the ruins. A first monitoring campaign in 2010 allowed the thermo-hygrometric characterization of the inner microclimate and the identification of the significant influence of the skylight on the temperature and relative humidity values, causing sharp rises and falls during the daylight hours. In 2013 two corrective measures were implemented and evaluated subsequently through a second microclimatic monitoring campaign conducted at the museum. The mudejar church of Santa Maria is located in Ateca, a town in the province of Zaragoza characterised by cold winters and warm summers. Given the low temperatures in winter, a heating system is used. The results of our analysis have shown that the heating system is turned on only for the celebration of Mass or religious festivities (half hour before the entrance of public at the church), causing extreme cycles of temperature and humidity, especially at the upper parts of the altarpiece due to the rising of hot air (hourly increase of 7 ºC in temperature and a decrease of 11% relative humidity) that are detrimental for the conservation of this artwork.[ES] Esta tesis doctoral trata sobre el análisis estadístico multivariante de datos microclimaticos para la conservación preventiva en patrimonio cultural: la casa de Ariadna (Pompeya, Italia), el Museo arqueológico de l'Almoina (Valencia, España) y la iglesia mudéjar de Santa María en Ateca (Ateca, España) . El objetivo principal de esta tesis es proponer una metodología de análisis estadístico de datos microclimáticos extensible a conservadores y restauradores. Se demuestra la utilidad de la metodología propuesta, ya que ha sido posible caracterizar los sitios del patrimonio cultural estudiados. Además, se han propuesto y adoptado acciones correctivas de acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos del análisis de los datos registrados en la casa de Ariadna y el Museo arqueológico de l'Almoina. La efectividad de dichas medidas correctoras ha sido evaluada a través de una segunda campaña de monitorización. En el caso de la casa de Ariadna, dos campañas de monitorización se llevaron a cabo. Durante la primera, en 2008, el análisis de los datos recogidos demostró que los tejados de policarbonato transparente instalados en los años 70 estaban provocando un efecto invernadero muy perjudicial para la conservación de los frescos. Los sensores permitieron además identificar diferencias entre orientaciones y alturas. Bajo las recomendaciones realizadas, en 2010 los tejados fueron cambiados por unos opacos de fibrocemento, y los datos termo-higrométricos recogidos en una segunda campaña de monitorización permitieron evaluar la adecuación de la medida correctiva en la configuración de un microclima más estable. El Museo arqueológico de l'Almoina se encuentra expuesto a los viandantes a través de una claraboya que cubre parte de las ruinas. Una primera campaña de monitorización en 2010 permitió caracterizar termo-higrométricamente el museo e identificar la influencia significativa de la claraboya sobre la temperatura y la humedad relativa, causando fuertes aumentos y caídas durante las horas de luz del día, así como un aporte de humedad de una acequia colindante. En 2013 se llevaron a cabo dos medidas correctivas que fueron evaluadas a través de una segunda monitorización microclimática. La iglesia mudéjar de Santa María está situada en Ateca, una población de la provincia de Zaragoza caracterizada por fríos inviernos y cálidos veranos. Esta fría climatología invernal condiciona la iglesia al uso de un sistema de climatización. El resultado de nuestros análisis ha puesto de manifiesto que el sistema de climatización solo se enciende para la celebración de misas o festividades religiosas, media hora antes de que entre el público en la iglesia, provocando extremos ciclos de temperatura y humedad relativa, más notables en las partes altas del retablo por el ascenso del aire caliente (incremento horario de 7 ºC en la temperatura y un descenso del 11% de la humedad relativa) que resultan perjudiciales para la conservación de este.[CA] Aquesta Tesi doctoral tracta sobre l'anàlisi estadístic multivariant de dades microclimatics per a la conservació preventiva en patrimoni cultural: la casa d'Ariadna (Pompeia, Itàlia), el Museu arqueològic de l'Almoina (València, Espanya) i l'església mudèjar de Santa Maria en Ateca (Saragossa, Espanya). L'objectiu principal d'aquesta tesi _es proposar una metodologia d'anàlisi estadístic de dades microclimatics extensible a conservadors i restauradors. Es demostra la utilitat de la metodologia proposada, ja que ha sigut possible caracteritzar els llocs del patrimoni cultural estudiats. A més, s'han proposat i adoptat accions correctives d'acord amb els resultats obtinguts de l'anàlisi de les dades registrades en la casa d'Ariadna i el Museu arqueològic de l'Almoina. L'efectivitat d'aquestes mesures correctores ha sigut avaluada a través d'una segona campanya de monitoratge. En el cas de la casa d'Ariadna, dues campanyes de monitoratge es van dur a terme. Durant la primera, en 2008, l'anàlisi de les dades enregistrades va demostrar que les teulades de policarbonat transparent instal·lades en els anys 70 estaven provocant un efecte hivernacle molt perjudicial per a la conservació dels frescs. Els sensors van permetre a més identificar diferències entre orientacions i altures. Sota les recomanacions realitzades, en 2010 les teulades van ser canviades per unes opaques de fibrociment, i les dades termo-higromètriques arreplegades en una segona campanya de monitoratge van permetre avaluar l'adequació de la mesura correctiva en la configuració d'un microclima més estable. El Museu arqueològic de l'Almoina es troba exposat als vianants a través d'una claraboia que cobreix part de les ruïnes. Una primera campanya de monitoratge en 2010 va permetre caracteritzar termo-higrometricament el museu i identificar la influència significativa de la claraboia sobre la temperatura i la humitat relativa, causant forts augments i caigudes durant les hores diürnes, així__ com una aportació d'humitat d'una sèquia confrontant. En 2013 es van dur a terme dues mesures correctives que van ser avaluades a través d'un segon monitoratge microclimàtic. L'església mudèjar de Santa Maria està situada en Ateca, una població de la província de Saragossa caracteritzada per freds hiverns i càlids estius. Aquesta freda climatologia hivernal condiciona l'església a l'ús d'un sistema de climatització. El resultat de les nostres anàlisis ha posat de manifest que el sistema de climatització solament s'encén per a la celebració de misses o festivitats religioses, mitja hora abans que entre el públic en l'església, provocant extrems cicles de temperatura i humitat relativa, més notables en les parts altes del retaule per l'ascens de l'aire calent (increment horari de 7ºC en la temperatura i un descens del 11% de la humitat relativa) que resulten perjudicials per a la conservació d'aquest.Merello Giménez, P. (2015). Caracterización microclimática mediante sensores de humedad y temperatura de obras de arte con fines de conservación preventiva [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/57490TESISCompendi

Cultural heritage risk analysis models: An overview

The risk assessment is a critical step in achieving, defining and supporting the decision-making process. In this context, in the past two decades, an increase in the number of models for assessing/analysis of risks applied to collections and/or immobile cultural heritage was observed. The present work consists of the first review of the literature, from 1999 to 2016, on risk assessment applied to movable and immovable cultural heritage. A total of twenty-seven risk assessment models have been compiled that can be applied to different types of cultural heritage such as: immovable property (26%) and movable property (74%). It was possible to conclude that approximately 48% of the risk analysis models are quantitative, 19% are semi-quantitative and 33% of the models are qualitative. Two different tables were created in order to help the reader: one for movable and another to immovable cultural heritage. These tables compile information to characterize the models (name, type, applicability, examples, date and references). The advantages and disadvantages of using each model was discuss in a separated table.publishersversionpublishe

Environmental monitoring and building simulation application to Vasari Corridor: Preliminary results

Abstract The Vasari Corridor has been used in the past and present for storage and presentation of works of art which require control of microclimate for optimal preservation. To this end, it was started the collaboration between the Uffizi Gallery and Laboratory of Environmental Physic of the Florence University for the environmental monitoring of microclimatic parameters, of which this work presents the preliminary results. It's was also created a three-dimensional model of the building in the stretch from the Uffizi Gallery to Ponte Vecchio, for the dynamic simulation of the energy behavior of the building validated by on-field measured values

Monitoring Heritage Buildings with Open Source Hardware Sensors: A Case Study of the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba

A number of physical factors can adversely affect cultural heritage. Therefore, monitoring parameters involved in the deterioration process, principally temperature and relative humidity, is useful for preventive conservation. In this study, a total of 15 microclimate stations using open source hardware were developed and stationed at the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, which is registered with UNESCO for its outstanding universal value, to assess the behavior of interior temperature and relative humidity in relation to exterior weather conditions, public hours and interior design. Long-term monitoring of these parameters is of interest in terms of preservation and reducing the costs of future conservation strategies. Results from monitoring are presented to demonstrate the usefulness of this system

An effective strategy for preventive conservation in historic buildings coupling dynamic simulation and experimental data of indoor climate

La conservazione preventiva consiste in tutte quelle attività che consentono di mitigare il degrado dei Beni Culturali. Tra queste attività, lo studio delle condizioni ambientali è fondamentale per valutare il processo di degrado così come per gestire e tutelare il patrimonio culturale. L’invecchiamento di un oggetto e l’alterazione delle sue proprietà chimico-fisiche e strutturali sono processi innescati e regolati in modo diretto e indiretto dal microclima e dalle sue fluttuazioni. Qualsiasi allontanamento dalle condizioni ambientali, in particolar modo dall’umidità relativa (UR), che ha favorito la conservazione del manufatto fino a oggi (clima storico), potrebbe essere deleterio alla sua futura tutela. Per questo motivo, l’interesse dei conservatori scientifici è rivolto a trovare metodologie di studio che consentano di rallentare, prevedere e prevenire il degrado. La combinazione di misure sperimentali e simulazione dinamica del clima interno risulta efficace (a) a diagnosticare le cause che determinano il microclima e (B) a prevedere il suo comportamento in caso di modifiche delle condizioni a contorno. Tuttavia, l’efficacia della simulazione dinamica degli edifici dipende fortemente dall’accuratezza del modello di edificio, che dovrebbe esser in grado di derivare le fluttuazioni a medio e lungo termine, in particolar modo quelle di UR, che è complessa da simulare a causa della sua dipendenza da molti fattori. Di conseguenza, l’uso della simulazione dinamica può essere efficace solo quando l’umidità relativa è misurata, analizzata e modellata accuratamente. Questa tesi affronta un argomento molto importante nel campo della conservazione preventiva, fornendo una strategia per il controllo e la gestione del microclima all’interno di edifici storici che ospitano collezioni permanenti. Per raggiungere questo obiettivo, la ricerca si è focalizzata sull’uso combinato di studi sperimentali e di simulazione dinamica. Particolare attenzione è stata indirizzata alla modellazione dell’umidità così come ai fenomeni di degrado meccanico indotti dall’umidità nei materiali igroscopici. Esistevano quattro ragioni per condurre questa ricercar: (1) fornire una valutazione oggettiva circa la qualità delle misure microclimatiche; (2) sviluppare una funzione di danno specifica per il degrado meccanico; (3) estendere le caratteristiche di una software commerciale di simulazione dinamica degli edifici con un modello monodimensionale di trasferimento simultaneo di calore e vapore attraverso le pareti; (4) facilitare il settaggio dei parametri necessari alla costruzione del modello di edificio a partire dai dati orari di temperatura e umidità relativa. I punti (3) e (4) erano necessaria per usare la simulazione dinamica come uno strumento diagnostico. Il punto (2) era necessario per estendere l’uso della simulazione anche a strumento prognostico. La metodologia proposta da questa ricerca consiste di tre fasi: (i) monitoraggio microclimatico e sua caratterizzazione per la valutazione del rischio di degrado basata un modello dose-risposta; (ii) creazione del modello di edificio e sua taratura; (iii) uso dei modelli tarati di edificio e di degrado per prevedere l’evoluzione del microclima dopo una nuova strategia di controllo microclimatico. Gli obiettivi specifici precedentemente elencati sono stati raggiunti usando differenti casi studio, mentre l’intera metodologia è stata applicata con successo al Museo Archeologico di Priverno che potrebbe essere definito come caso studio pilota. La combinazione di misure microclimatiche insieme alla simulazione dinamica si è dimostrata uno strumento potente and flessibile per la valutazione di una soluzione di controllo microclimatico in edifici storici. L’approccio proposto risulta essere completamente non invasivo, non distruttivo e con costo-zero in termini di materiali (se si esclude il costo del monitoraggio microclimatico). Infatti, le qualità conservative degli spazi da esposizione dopo la modifica del microclima sono direttamente valutate nell’ambiente di simulazione. In questo modo, i risultati possono sostenere vantaggiosamente i processi decisionali riguardanti il controllo e la gestione dell’ambiente espositivo.The preventive conservation consists in all activities that allow to mitigate the degradation of cultural heritage. Among these activities, the study of environmental conditions is crucial to assess the degradation process as well as to manage and preserve the cultural heritage. The ageing of an object and the alteration of chemical-physical properties are activated and controlled, directly and indirectly, by the microclimate and its fluctuations. Any departure from the microclimate, especially the relative humidity (RH), that has promoted the conservation of an object (historical climate) might be harmful to its future preservation. For this reason, conservation scientists focus on methodologies able to reduce, predict and prevent the degradation. Combining experimental and modelling approaches in studies of indoor climate proves to be effective (a) to diagnose key factors that determine the microclimate and (b) to predict its dynamic behaviour if boundary conditions change. However, the efficacy of the building dynamic simulation strongly depends on the accuracy of the building model, that should derive both short- and long-term fluctuations of the indoor climate variables, especially those concerning RH, which is, besides, complex to simulate due to its dependence on many factors. Consequently, the use of dynamic simulation can be effective only when the relative humidity is accurately measured, analysed and modelled. This thesis addresses a very important timely topic in the preventive conservation providing a strategy in the control and management of the indoor climate within historic buildings which house permanent collections. To achieve this purpose, the research focused on combining experimental and dynamic simulation studies. Particular attention was paid to moisture modelling as well as to the moisture-induced damage in hygroscopic materials. There were four main reasons to have prompted this research: (1) providing an objective assessment about the quality of indoor climate measurements; (2) developing a damage function specific for mechanical degradation; (3) extending the features of a commercial building dynamic simulation software with a one-dimensional heat and moisture transfer model; (4) easing the set-up of the building model using hourly climate variables instead of energy data. The issues (3) and (4) were needed for using the dynamic simulation as a diagnostic tool. The issue (2) was needed for extending the use of simulation from a diagnostic tool to a predictive tool. The methodology proposed by this research consists of three steps: (i) microclimate monitoring and its characterization for conservation risk assessment based on dose-response model; (ii) creation of a building model and its calibration; (iii) use of calibrated building and dose-response models to predict the microclimate evolution after a new strategy of microclimate control. The specific purposes were achieved using different case studies and the whole strategy (i.e. the general purpose) was successfully exploited in the case of “Archaeological Museum of Priverno”, which might be defined as the pilot case study. The combination of indoor climate measurements jointly with the dynamic simulation has demonstrated to be a powerful tool to assess a climate control solution within historic buildings. The proposed approach results to be completely non-invasive, non-destructive and with zero-costs in terms materials. Indeed, the conservative quality of the exhibition spaces after modification of the indoor climate is directly assessed in the simulation environment. In this way, outcomes can support advantageously decision-making for a better control and management of the exhibition environment

Strategies for the deployment of microclimate sensors in spaces housing collections

[EN] The study of the microclimate is pivotal for the protection and conservation of cultural heritage. This paper describes specifc procedures aimed at the deployment of microclimate sensors in spaces housing collections (e.g., museums) under diferent scenarios. The decision making involves a multidisciplinary discussion among museum manager, con¿ servator and conservation scientist and implies fve steps. Since the sensor¿s deployment depends on the number of available sensors, we have identifed two possible circumstances: (a) artwork-related deployment (i.e., there are as many sensors as the number of artworks) and (b) artwork-envelope-related deployment (i.e., the number of available sensors is less than the number of artworks). The former circumstance is advisable when the artwork is often moved from a museum to another one. The latter circumstance is usually the case of permanent collections, and, according to the Museum Scenario (MS), the related procedures can be further subdivided into basic (MSI and MSII) and advanced (MSIII and MSIV). Advanced procedures are preferable over basic procedures when several time series of microcli¿ mate data have been collected for at least one calendar year in several sampling points. All these procedures make it possible to design where to deploy sensors both in the case of an initial deployment and of optimisation of already installed sensors.This research was funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No.814624.Frasca, F.; Verticchio, E.; Peiró-Vitoria, A.; Grinde, A.; Bile, A.; Chimenti, C.; Conati Barbaro, C.... (2022). Strategies for the deployment of microclimate sensors in spaces housing collections. Heritage Science. 10(1):1-17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-022-00831-111710

Indoor climate management on cultural heritage buildings: Climate control strategies, cultural heritage management and hygrothermal rehabilitation

Cultural heritage plays a major role in modern societies as a symbol of their past and as a way to safe keep their identity for future generation. Its protection and conservation are a challenge to ensure the cultural diversity in a continuously changing world. Heritage buildings such as palaces, churches or monasteries are often used to display collections trying to combine the patrimonial and architectural value of the building with the artistic interest of the collections. This combination of interests, while returning some buildings back to society, may also pose some risk to their conservation due to pressures caused by high visitor flows and high levels of climate control. Nowadays, one of the greatest challenges for the cultural heritage is to achieve a compromise between conservation, sustainability and comfort. However, this balance has been difficult to achieve, since conservation and comfort require tight climate control, which is difficult to achieve in historic buildings with large volumes and high thermal transmittance. This thesis aims to cover a wide range of situations that interfere with the indoor climate of the heritage, namely at the level of its monitoring and analysis, risk-analysis, discussion of the various climate control strategies and the capacity of buildings to comply with them. The impact of the visitors on the conservation and the influence of the envelope in the energetic rehabilitation were also investigated. Methods of statistical analysis and risk quantification, a climate control strategy and an energy optimization methodology were proposed. The use of the climatic data from the Jeronimos Monastery (MJ), the church of São Cristóvão and National Museum of Ancient Art (NMAA) and the use of a simulation model of the MJ allowed to conclude the difficulty of the heritage buildings to comply with tight climate ranges. A high potential for reducing energy consumption was achieved through the application of dynamic climate control strategies without jeopardizing the conservation, and a new methodology was proposed and validated. The use of the MJ simulation model allowed to conclude that the current number of visitors already raises conservation risks and that, even in the most pragmatic scenario, it will contribute to the degradation of the air quality by 2027. The simulation of a generic room of the NMAA for 15 European cities has made it possible to conclude that it is not possible to standardize the rehabilitation solutions since energy needs depend on the location. Finally, it was concluded that the focus on climate control strategies has a great potential for cost reduction and that in temperate climates of the southern Europe the improvement of thermal transmittance has a reduced effect on the building’s respons

CARACTERIZACIÓN TERMOHIGROMÉTRICA DE MATERIALES DE CONSTRUCCIÓN DEL LUGAR ARQUEÓLOGICO DE OSTIA ANTICA MEDIANTE TOMA DE DATOS DISCRETA Y CONTINUA

[EN] Nowadays, the procedures and instruments for measuring temperatures on the air and materials surface are normed and amply used, through direct and indirect techniques, with the aim to evaluate the conservation status of ancient buildings. In this work, two monitoring procedures are discussed in order to characterise materials, bricks and mortar aligned with “opus caementicium” technique, that make up the framework of “Casa di Diana” Mithraeum, a roman building (130 CE) sited in an Italian archaeological site (Ostia Antica, Rome). In this sense, for one year the wall-building materials and the surrounding air were monitored with two different procedures: a direct multi-points measurement with several handheld instrument which different physical systems conduced in predetermined periods and a long-term monitoring campaign with sensors specially developed placed along the walls. Preliminary data analyses show that the discrete monitoring with punctually procedure gives important information like the evaporating and condensing risk for both materials and areas particularly critical associated at lower level (0-70 cm). Continuous monitoring allows the individuating of punctual characteristics in time and space, planning recovery actions, although it requires more data treatment. Preliminary data treatments show the potentiality and advantages of both methodologies: general information and more data treatment with automatic method and specific information and more time spends in data adquisition with a manually proceeding.[ES] En la actualidad, con el objetivo de evaluar el estado de conservación de edificios antiguos, los procedimientos e instrumentos para la medición de temperaturas del aire de y de la superficie de los materiales están estandarizadas y son ampliamente utilizados a través de técnicas directas e indirectas. En este trabajo, se discuten dos procedimientos de control con el fin de caracterizar los materiales, ladrillo y mortero, colocados con la técnica de "opus caementicium", que constituyen el marco del Mitreo de la "Casa di Diana", un edificio romano (130 dC) situado en el yacimiento arqueológico italiano (Ostia Antica, Roma). En este sentido, durante un año los materiales de construcción de muros y el aire circundante fueron monitorizados con dos procedimientos diferentes: uno mediante medición manual directa de múltiples puntos con varios instrumentos, realizado en períodos predeterminados y una campaña de monitorización continua a largo plazo con sensores especialmente desarrollados para este fin emplazados en las paredes. Análisis preliminares muestran que el sistema discreto aporta información importante de riesgo, como la evaporación y la condensación, tanto para los materiales como para las zonas especialmente aquellas más críticas (zona baja, 0-70 cm). La monitorización continua permite la individuación de las características puntuales en tiempo y en espacio, aunque requiere de un tratamiento de datos más extenso. Los análisis preliminares muestran la potencialidad y las ventajas de ambos métodos: información general con el método automático y un tratamiento de datos más extenso e información específica con un mayor consumo de tiempo en la toma de datos con un procedimiento manual.García Diego, FJ.; Scatigno, C.; Merello, P.; Scatig (2016). DISCRETE AND CONTINUOUS MONITORING TO CHARACTERISED THE THERMO-HYGROMETRIC STATE OF WALL-BUILDING MATERIALS IN OSTIA ANTICA ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE. En 8th International congress on archaeology, computer graphics, cultural heritage and innovation. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 496-499. https://doi.org/10.4995/arqueologica8.2016.4183OCS49649

Research Advances for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage

Because European Cultural Heritage is an invaluable legacy, the Ministry for Science and Innovation funded the Spanish Network on Science and Technology for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage (TechnoHeritage), which began its activities in March 2011.Currently seventy five groups participate in the Network, including Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Spanish universities teams, cultural institutions, foundations and museums, and private companies. One of the activities of the Network is the organization of annual meetings. This International Congress—organised on behalf of TechnoHeritage by the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela— has a goal of creating an interdisciplinary forum for discussion on all aspects of cultural heritage conservation while providing an up-to-date and comprehensive picture of the state-of-the-art investigations in this field