Multi-analytical study of ceramic pigments application in the study of Iron Age decorated pottery from SW Iberia

A non-invasive multi-analytical approach combining optical microscopy (OM), micro-X-ray diffraction (mXRD), in-situ X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), variable pressure scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (VP-SEM-EDS) and Raman micro-spectroscopy has been employed for the first time to investigate the chemical composition of ceramic pigments in Iberian Iron Age ceramics. The methodology was applied in the study of red, black and white pigments on Iron Age decorated pottery from the archaeological site of Garvão (SW Portugal). The complementary methodology adopted in this study minimized the damage to the ancient artefacts and turned out to be essential in achieving a complete chemical and mineralogical characterization of pigment composition. Results suggest that haematite (Fe2O3) and pyrolusite (MnO2) are the main mineral carriers of the Fe and Mn chromophore ions, responsible respectively for the red and black colour. While illite (K(Al,Mg, Fe)2(Si,Al)4O10(OH)2), a common clay mineral, is giving the white colour. It is the first time that the use of illite as a pigment on decorations of ancient pottery has been reported in western societies. The potters used local raw materials, compatible with the regional geological context and the archaeometric study seems to demonstrate that the society that produced the painted ceramics had limited access to long commercial routes

Medieval Tuscan glasses from Miranduolo, Italy: A multi-disciplinary study

Twenty transparent glass fragments from Miranduolo were analysed by Variable Pressure - Scanning Electron Microscopy - Energy Dispersive System (VP-SEM-EDS), Particle Induced X-Ray Emission and Particle Induced Gamma-Ray Emission (PIXE/PIGE) and Laser Ablation - Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (LAICP- MS). The fragments are dated from mid-13th to mid-14th century CE, when the first Tuscan glass-making workshops emerged. Miranduolo did not have an in situ glass-making workshop. Hence, the aim was to determine the glass production technology and raw material provenance. All the glasses are of plant ash (PA) sodalime- silica (Na-Ca-Si) composition, with eighteen being made with Levantine plant ash (LPA), one with Barilla plant ash (BPA), and one Na-Ca-Si glass with high magnesium and low potassium (HMg-LK). The production of LPA glasses can be distinguished according to the use of different sand typologies as former. It seems probable that glasses were produced regionally from multiple Tuscan glass factories

Caracterização mineralógica e geotécnica dos solos para a construção em terra crua no sudoeste de Angola

RESUMO A construção feita em terra crua é um património cultural em Angola amplamente utilizado por famílias de baixa renda. No sudoeste de Angola existem inúmeras habitações de terra crua construídas com métodos e técnicas ancestrais que respeitam o meio ambiente. Entre as técnicas de construção em terra, destacam-se: o adobe, o pau-a-pique e mais recentemente em BTC (Bloco de Terra Comprimida). A sustentabilidade deste tipo de construção é um dos fatores que impulsionou o seu recente desenvolvimento em todo o mundo. É caracterizada por baixo consumo de energia e baixas emissões de carbono porque está associada a níveis de poluição perto de zero, por possuir níveis benéficos de humidade interna em termos de saúde humana, bom isolamento térmico e baixos custos económicos. Este trabalho faz parte de um projeto que visa melhorar e otimizar essas soluções construtivas, respondendo às demandas atuais de sustentabilidade social, económica e ambiental. Neste trabalho foram caracterizadas as propriedades mineralógicas de oito amostras de solos utilizados na construção em terra crua na região do sudoeste de Angola (província da Huíla), mediante a aplicação da técnica de análise mineralógica por Difração de raios-X (DRX) e as características geotécnicas (dimensões das partículas do solo, consistência, expansibilidade, densidade, compactação). Além disso, para avaliar a durabilidade dos adobes foram realizados os testes Geelong. Os resultados obtidos põem em evidência que as propriedades mineralógicas controlam as propriedades geotécnicas dos solos e o comportamento dos mesmos quando utilizados na construção em terra. ABSTRACT The construction made off raw earth is a cultural heritage in Angola widely used by low income households. In Southwest of Angola there are numerous dwellings of raw earth built with methods and ancestral techniques that respect the environment. Among the construction techniques in earth, stand out: the adobe, wattle-and-daub and more recently on CEB (Compressed Earth Block). The sustainability of this type of construction is one of the factors that has driven its recent development around the world. It is characterized by low energy consumption and low carbon emissions because it is associated with levels of pollution near zero, it provides beneficial indoor humidity levels in terms of human health, good thermal insulation and low economic costs. This work is part of a project, which aims to improve and optimize these constructive solutions, responding to the current demands of social, economic and environmental sustainability. In this work the mineralogical and mechanical properties of the soils used in the construction on raw earth in this region were characterized, in order to identify its potentialities and limitations as geomaterial in this type of eco-construction. In this work, the mineralogical properties of eight soil samples used in the construction in the ground in the southwestern region of Angola (Huíla province) were characterized by the application of mineralogical analysis by X-ray diffraction technique and the geotechnical characteristics (particle size, consistency, expansibility, density, Proctor compaction). In addition, the Geelong tests were performed to prove the durability of the adobes. The results show that the mineralogical properties control the geotechnical properties of the soils and their behavior for the construction on raw earth

Advances Technologies for natural stone| Inovstone 4.0 important results from a research project on natural stone construction material selection and performance analysis

The natural stone as a building material has been revealed to have much lower life cycle costs than other materials as concrete, glass and steel. For this reason, it has a positive impact on the environment. However, several incidents with different pathologies on distinct lithologies has led to an increase in maintenance costs. The lack of knowledge on a stone performance over time and the frequent absence of a solution has a significant negative effect on the entire stone trade. Therefore, less sustainable, and less durable construction solutions are used as an alternative. The work-package “Tools for value” of the Inovstone 4.0 project (Advanced Technologies and Software for Natural Stone) addresses the need to highlight the dynamic capacity of the Portuguese Ornamental Rocks Sector (RO) based upon in-depth knowledge on natural stone performance regarding dissimilar testing conditions and, at the same time, strengthen its competitiveness in relation to the new digital procurement model, namely in the context of the Building Information Modeling (BIM). This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the main project findings. The main objectives were: i) Classifying the stones by petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical analysis; ii) To understand and explain the mechanisms of the loss of strength caused by thermal ageing cycles; iii) To study the effect of biodeterioration on marbles, slates and limestones; iv) To develop a concept for assessment of Portuguese natural stone products, including a monitoring system to predict strength development and improve safety and reliability; v) To address quality control issues to optimize the production conditions. The research was performed on twenty-five different lithotypes, from various locations in Portugal. Project results eased the development of Portuguese natural stone construction products selection, performance guidelines and critical influence factors. Biosusceptibility and colour evaluation have been performed in the laborator

Conservation Science and Ethics in the Analytical Studies of Clay Cuneiform Tablets from Ancient Near Eastern Archives

The Late Bronze Age (ca. 1500-1200 BC) constitutes the heyday of the great empires of the ancient Near East (ANE), such as Egypt, Hatti, Mitanni, Babylonia, and Assyria. Centuries of conflicts followed by peaceful relations, marked the interrelations of these superpowers. Rich literary records in the form of archives of cuneiform texts were established. These archives contain abundant tablets whose origin is unknown. Sometimes the letterhead is missing, in other cases, we may have the name of the sender and still ignore his domicile. Further, the location of many ANE countries and cities has not yet been clearly established. Hence, revealing the origin of documents has the potential of shedding new light on the history of the ANE and beyond. The paper will discuss the use of a rich array of nondestructive testing (NDT) and minimally-destructive testing (MDT) methods for studying the composition, technology and provenance of ANE cuneiform tablets. This approach opens new horizons in the interpretation of the clay documents. We applied such analyses on hundreds of tablets from el Amarna, Ras Shamra/Ugarit, Boğazköy/Hattusha, and sites in Cyprus and Israel/Palestine. The research project made during the last decade, serves as the basis for this study. The results raise a set of ethical and practical issues concerning the study and conservation of such precious artifacts

Beyond Technology: Pottery Reveals Translocal Social Relations at a Bell Beaker Monumental Site in Central Europe

The Bell Beaker site near Brodek u Prostejova (Czechia) has yielded remains of a large timber construction accompanied by four symmetrical ritual deposits with numerous artefacts, including more than fifty ceramic vessels. Their decoration consists of incised patterns, in nineteen cases with preserved white inlaid incrustations. To investigate the social relations at this extraordinary site, a multi-analytical and micro-destructive approach was employed to determine the provenance and technology of the pottery and the composition of the white incrustations. The results indicate various origins for the pottery within the region and the presence of extra-regional fabrics and graphitic temper. The main raw materials for the white inlays were calcium carbonate (calcite), hydroxyapatite (bone), and bright clay. The mixing of decorative motifs and the variation in the shape and size of the beakers suggest unique manufacturing processes. These results lend support to the monumental site of Brodek serving as a ritual place for several communities from both local and wider areas.European Commission - ARCHMAT EMJM

The particle‐size distribution of concrete and mortar aggregates by image analysis

Particle-size analysis on ancient mortars and concretes aggregate is today a common practice in Cultural Heritage and civil engineering. Normally, a particle-size distribution of mortar aggregates on in situ materials is carried out using sieves, fol- lowing the dissolution of the carbonate binder. This technique needs about 200 g of material per sample and produces a large volume of liquid wastes. Sampling is generally supervised by local authorities especially in the field of cultural heritage. Over the years it has therefore become necessary to devise analytical solutions for collecting the smallest volume of material to preserve the buildings. In this research a non-destructive testing to define the aggregate distribution and their percent- age in the mortars and/or concretes is presented. It consists of 2D particle size image analysis performed in thin sections. To evaluate the reliability and limitations of this method, already operated in other research, 20 particle-size distributions, characterized by aggregates with Roundness 0.5 < R < 0.95 and Circularity 0.4 < C < 0.75 were created and analyzed using real sieves. Afterwards, the same particle-distributions were mixed with resin to reproduce a “fake” concrete/mortar. A thin section of this latter was analyzed by appropriate software. The method shows a good prediction of the Resin/Aggregate ratio with uniformity coefficient of 0.88 together with variable reliability of the particle-size distribution

The interaction between rainwater and polished building stones for flooring and cladding - Implications in architecture

Stone polishing is a process executed to make the surface glossy, so that the material shines by reflecting the light. The polishing is mainly carried out in flooring and façade cladding to improve the aesthetic properties of the stones. In particular on calcareous stones, polishing is not a per- manent feature because various atmospheric agents in outdoor (e.g. rain, freeze and thawing cycles, UV solar radiation) are responsible for weathering with the loss of the mirror-like effect. In this paper, the effects of rainwater on polished limestones used for building cladding have been shown. In order to better reproduce the environmental conditions in building location, two samples horizontally and vertically oriented (simulating flooring and façade cladding respectively), were subjected to rainwater wetting. Other two samples with the same previous orientations were subjected to tap water wetting. After a month test it has been demonstrated how rainwater, differently to tap water, causes micro-corrosion on the samples surface by a modification of the colour and a decreasing of the gloss. This is attributable to a roughness increase. The corrosion intensity depends on the orientation of the samples. The reason of this corrosion is the capacity of the rainwater (with a low saline content) to easily dissolve air carbon dioxide by forming cor- rosive carbonic acid with respect to high saline content tap water

Microorganisms and Moonmilk in the non-ornated caves from the Vézère Valley (Dordogne, France)

Microorganisms inhabit all possible environments including hypogean environments. Cave are the best examples of a glimpse into the subsurface world and into human past through its art work. Microbes are often harmful for cultural assets (eg, paleolithic paintings), because they are related to constructive (mineral precipitation) and destructive (substrate dissolution) processes affecting different substrates (hostrock, speleothems, paintings, etc.). Moonmilk, a secondary speleothem is a problem that plagues this art. The environment is very distinct as they differ vastly from the exterior owing to it being divided by the soil and the epikarst. Caves are considered as extreme environments due to very little or complete absence of sunlight and limited interaction with the outside ecosystem. This determines the growth of microorganisms that can easily adapt to these extreme conditions playing an important role in the development of biotransformations inside the caves, namely biomineralization and probably in the formation of moonmilk and leading to potential degradation of cave art. Moonmilk is identified by its distinctive crystalline fibre, referred to as Needle Fibre Calcite (NFC)

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR NATURAL STONE|INOVSTONE 4.0-IMPORTANT RESULTS FROM A RESEARCH PROJECT ON NATURAL STONE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS SELECTION AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS

The natural stone as a building material has been revealed to have much lower life cycle costs than other materials as concrete, glass and steel. For this reason, it has a positive impact on the environment. However, several incidents with different pathologies on distinct lithologies has led to an increase in maintenance costs. The lack of knowledge on a stone performance over time and the frequent absence of a solution has a significant negative effect on the entire stone trade. Therefore, less sustainable, and less durable construction solutions are used as an alternative. The work-package “Tools for value” of the Inovstone 4.0 project (Advanced Technologies and Software for Natural Stone) addresses the need to highlight the dynamic capacity of the Portuguese Ornamental Rocks Sector (RO) based upon in-depth knowledge on natural stone performance regarding dissimilar testing conditions and, at the same time, strengthen its competitiveness in relation to the new digital procurement model, namely in the context of the Building Information Modeling (BIM). This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the main project findings. The main objectives were: I) Classifying the stones by petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical analysis; ii) To understand and explain the mechanisms of the loss of strength caused by thermalageing cycles; iii) To study the effect of biodeterioration on marbles, slates and limestones; iv) To develop a concept for assessment of Portuguese natural stone products, including a monitoring system to predict strength development and improve safety and reliability; v) To address quality control issues to optimize the production conditions. The research was performed on twenty-five different lithotypes, from various locations in Portugal. Project results eased the development of Portuguese natural stone construction products selection, performance guidelines and critical influence factors. Biosusceptibility and colour evaluation have been performed in the laboratory and revealed crucial results, including the suitability under certain environments, potential durability, and cleaning ability after exposure. Guidelines for selection and product control have been proposed and developed aiming at natural stone construction products with improved service lif