Dimensional measurements with X-ray Computed Tomography and application to Cultural Heritage

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X-ray Computed Tomography Analysis of Historical Woodwind Instruments of the Late Eighteenth Century

In this work, two historical flutes of the late eighteenth century were analysed by means of X ray computed tomography (CT). The first one is a piccolo flute whose manufacturer is unknown, though some features could suggest an English or American origin. The second musical instrument is a baroque transverse flute, probably produced by Lorenzo Cerino, an Italian instrument maker active in Turin (Italy) in the late eighteenth century. Analyses carried out provided information on manufacturing techniques, materials and conservation state, and are suitable to plan restoration intervention. In particular, through the CT images, it was possible to observe the presence of defects, cracks, fractures and previous restorations, as well as indications of the tools used in the making of the instruments. Particular attention was directed towards extracting metrological information about the objects. In fact, this work is the first step of a study with a final aim of determining an operative protocol to enable the making of precise-sounding copies of ancient instruments starting from CT images, that can be used to plan a virtual restoration, consisting in the creation of digitally restored copies with a 3D printer

Realisation and characterisation of Cu-based references for neutron imaging calibration purposes and first results

The long-term purpose of this study is to assess the capabilities of the new Neutron Imaging beamline developed at the LENA facility of Pavia (Italy) for the characterisation of bronze artefacts. In this preliminary work, a set of Cu-based reference alloys has been produced and analysed in order to test and calibrate the facility. The first step involved the production of Cu-based alloys with chemical composition and microstructure similar to ancient artefacts. The chemical composition of the reference alloys was analysed by Optical Emission Spectroscopy. Secondly, some samples were artificially patinated with different chemical treatments obtaining an artificial corrosion products layer comparable to natural corrosion. X-Ray Diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Raman Spectroscopy have been used to characterise the corrosion patina. The main corrosion products on sulphate-induced patina are cuprite and brochantite, whereas atacamite and clinoatacamite were detected on chloride-induced patinas. Finally, preliminary Neutron Imaging measurements were performed on a first set of coated and uncoated specimens in order to try to correlate the neutrons attenuation coefficients with the chemical compositions with promising results

X-ray Imaging Investigation on the Gilding Technique of an Ancient Egyptian Taweret Wooden Statuette

Diagnostic physical methods are increasingly applied to Cultural Heritage both for scientific investigations and conservation purposes. In particular, the X-ray imaging techniques of computed tomography (CT) and digital radiography (DR) are non-destructive investigation methods to study an object, being able to give information on its inner structure. In this paper, we present the results of the X-ray imaging study on an ancient Egyptian statuette (Late Period 722–30 BCE) belonging to the collection of Museo Egizio in Torino and representing an Egyptian goddess called Taweret, carved on wood and gilded with some colored details. Since few specific studies have been focused on materials and techniques used in Ancient Egypt for gilding, a detailed investigation was started in order to verify the technical features of the decoration in this sculpture. Specifically, DR and CT analyses have been performed at the Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale” (CCR), with a new high resolution flat-panel detector, that allowed us to perform tomographic analysis reaching a final resolution better than the one achievable with the previous apparatus operating in the CCR

Age determination and authentication of ceramics: advancements in the thermoluminescence dating laboratory in Torino (Italy)

13Classified as an absolute dating method, thermoluminescence (TL) is a well-established radiation-based technique for the age determination and authentication of ceramic materials. Specifically, this method allows the determination of the time elapsed since kiln firing (or later fire events) by evaluating the luminescent emission of ceramics under heating at high temperatures. This paper provides a comprehensive presentation of the TL laboratory developed over the last decade at the Physics Department of the University of Torino. The laboratory was set up in collaboration with TecnArt S.r.l. and is also currently operating within the cultural heritage network of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN-CHNet). More than 10 years of experience in the field has resulted in improvements in procedures, with the development of customised alpha- and beta-irradiation systems and the optimisation of sampling approaches and chemical pre-treatment. Thanks to TecnArt S.r.l., the laboratory has been employed for dating and authenticating hundreds of archaeological sites and artworks, some of which are discussed in this work and compared, when possible, with radiocarbon dating.openopenGuidorzi, Laura; Fantino, Fulvio; Durisi, Elisabetta; Ferrero, Marco; Re, Alessandro; Vigorelli, Luisa; Visca, Lorenzo; Gulmini, Monica; Dughera, Giovanni; Giraudo, Giuseppe; Angelici, Debora; Panero, Elisa; Lo Giudice, AlessandroGuidorzi, Laura; Fantino, Fulvio; Durisi, Elisabetta; Ferrero, Marco; Re, Alessandro; Vigorelli, Luisa; Visca, Lorenzo; Gulmini, Monica; Dughera, Giovanni; Giraudo, Giuseppe; Angelici, Debora; Panero, Elisa; Lo Giudice, Alessandr

Threads of memory: Reviving the ornament of a dead child at the Neolithic village of Ba'ja (Jordan)

In 2018, a well-constructed cist-type grave was discovered at Ba'ja, a Neolithic village (7,400-6,800 BCE) in Southern Jordan. Underneath multiple grave layers, an 8-year-old child was buried in a fetal position. Over 2,500 beads were found on the chest and neck, along with a double perforated stone pendant and a delicately engraved mother-of-pearl ring discovered among the concentration of beads. The first was found behind the neck, and the second on the chest. The meticulous documentation of the bead distribution indicated that the assemblage was a composite ornament that had gradually collapsed, partly due to the burying position. Our aim was to challenge time degradation and to reimagine the initial composition in order to best explore the significance of this symbolic category of material culture, not as mere group of beads, but as an ornamental creation with further aesthetic, artisanal and socioeconomic implications. The reconstruction results exceeded our expectations as it revealed an imposing multi-row necklace of complex structure and attractive design. Through multiple lines of evidence, we suggest that the necklace was created at Ba'ja, although significant parts of beads were made from exotic shells and stones, including fossil amber, an unprecedented material never attested before for this period. The retrieval of such an ornament from life and its attribution to a young dead child highlights the significant social status of this individual. Beyond the symbolic functions related to identity, the necklace is believed to have played a key role in performing the inhumation rituals, understood as a public event gathering families, relatives, and people from other villages. In this sense, the necklace is not seen as belonging completely to the realm of death but rather to the world of the living, materializing a collective memory and shared moments of emotions and social cohesion.ArchaeologyHub.CSIC 2022 Internal Research Grant (HA) https://archaeologyhub.csic.es/ - H2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, grant number 846097 (HA) https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/846097 - German Research Foundation (BO 1599/14-1; BO 1599/16-1) (MB, HGG) https://www.dfg.de/en/ - Franz-and Eva Rutzen Stiftung Foundation (MB) https://www.deutsches-stiftungszentrum.de/stiftungen/franz-und-eva-rutzen-stiftung - Junta de Andalucía (Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad), under contract P20_01080 (CPO) https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/organismos/universidadinvestigacioneinnovacion.htm

X-ray Imaging Investigation on the Gilding Technique of an Ancient Egyptian Taweret Wooden Statuette

Diagnostic physical methods are increasingly applied to Cultural Heritage both for scientific investigations and conservation purposes. In particular, the X-ray imaging techniques of computed tomography (CT) and digital radiography (DR) are non-destructive investigation methods to study an object, being able to give information on its inner structure. In this paper, we present the results of the X-ray imaging study on an ancient Egyptian statuette (Late Period 722–30 BCE) belonging to the collection of Museo Egizio in Torino and representing an Egyptian goddess called Taweret, carved on wood and gilded with some colored details. Since few specific studies have been focused on materials and techniques used in Ancient Egypt for gilding, a detailed investigation was started in order to verify the technical features of the decoration in this sculpture. Specifically, DR and CT analyses have been performed at the Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale” (CCR), with a new high resolution flat-panel detector, that allowed us to perform tomographic analysis reaching a final resolution better than the one achievable with the previous apparatus operating in the CCR

X-ray Micro-Tomography as a Method to Distinguish and Characterize Natural and Cultivated Pearls

Digital radiography and computed tomography are two fundamental diagnostic techniques in different fields of research, including cultural heritage studies and gemmology. The application of these physical methods of investigation has gained considerable importance as they are non-invasive techniques. The presented work has been mainly focused on micro-tomographic analysis. The project is concerned with the study of natural and cultivated pearls in order to develop an investigation methodology for the analysis, distinction and characterization of different types of pearls, some of them belonging to different precious jewels from private collections. The investigations, carried out on a total of 22 heterogeneous types of pearls, allowed us to establish their origin (natural or cultivated) or to confirm/deny if a hypothesis was already expressed, and as well to highlight the cultivation methodology used case by case. Furthermore, it was possible to ascertain how large and varied the market for cultured pearls is nowadays and how difficult is, in some particular cases, to ascertain their attribution to a certain origin

Multi-analytical approach for the study of an ancient Egyptian wooden statuette from the collection of Museo Egizio of Torino

In the field of Cultural Heritage, the interdisciplinary and multi-technique approach to the study of ancient artifacts is widely used, providing more reliable and complementary results. To study these great-value objects, non-invasive approach is always preferred, although micro-invasive techniques may be necessary to answer specific questions. In this work, a study based on both non-invasive and micro-invasive techniques in a two-step approach was applied as a powerful tool to characterise materials and their layering, as well as to get a deeper understanding of the artistic techniques and the conservation history. The object under study is an ancient Egyptian wooden statuette, belonging to the collections of the Museo Egizio of Torino. Analyses were performed at the Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale” (CCR), starting from non-invasive multispectral and X-ray imaging on the whole object, in order to obtain information about the technique of assembly and on some aspects of the constituent materials, and up to non-invasive XRF analysis and FT-IR, SEM-EDX and optical microscopy on micro-samples. This work is intended to lay the groundwork to the study of other wooden objects and statuettes belonging to the same funerary equipment, with the definition of a measuring protocol to study the most significant aspects of the artistic technique

Comparison of two ancient Egyptian Middle Kingdom statuettes from the Museo Egizio of Torino through computed tomographic measurements

X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) has a significant role as investigation tool not only in medical and industrial applications, but also in cultural heritage studies. One of the main reasons for such broad adoption of this method is its non-destructive capability to investigate the inner structure of precious and unique artefacts that would instead be damaged by traditional sampling procedures. Ordinary X-ray radiography is limited and gives only 2D images, while high-resolution X-ray CT imaging gives non-invasive access to three-dimensional (3D) information. This article focuses on the comparison of micro-CT results obtained from the analysis of two ancient Egyptian wooden statuettes representing offering bearers. The artefacts belong to the collection of the Museo Egizio of Torino as part of the funerary assemblage of Minhotep, discovered in the Asyut necropolis. For the analysis, an upgraded version of the X ray imaging apparatus located in the Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale” (CCR) was used, in order to reach a higher final resolution than the one already present and used at CCR. Thanks to this investigation, much information on the artistic technique was obtained and it was possible to highlight differences and similarities in the technical features of the two statuettes, acquiring elements to understand the specific contribution of micro tomography in studying the finds and hypothesizing a common production method