Ana C. Hernández Santomé , Jorge Sanjurjo-Sánchez , Carlos Alves
{"title":"Use of hand-held gamma-ray spectrometry to assess decay of granite ashlars in historical buildings of NW Spain (Barbanza, Galicia)","authors":"Ana C. Hernández Santomé , Jorge Sanjurjo-Sánchez , Carlos Alves","doi":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.019","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.019","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Non-destructive methods are widely demanded in research on Cultural Heritage. In the last years, several techniques have been proposed, attempted and even routinely tried on research on assessing the deterioration of stone of Cultural Heritage buildings and monuments. We test here the use of hand-held gamma-ray spectrometry (GRS) to assess the decay of stone in two Heritage buildings. GRS is a non-destructive technique widely used in mineral exploration that provides an estimate of the environmental gamma radiation dose but also of the content of some radioisotopes of uranium, thorium and potassium in rocks and minerals. Such radioisotopes are present in very variable contents depending on the rock type. They have a different behavior when a stone overcome weathering processes, being usually the K and U leaching, while Th tends to be considered as an immobile element. We have tested GRS on two historical buildings built with granite blocks of the Peninsula of Barbanza (Galicia, NW, Spain): Santiago de Lampón and San Cristovo de Abaqueiro. The studied buildings show a mild deterioration in some façades, being an interesting study case. Measurements were carried out on the four façades of both buildings at on ashlars located at heights of 0.5, 1.5 and 2 m, above the ground, for comparing the possible effect of capillary water from underground on the weathering degree of the ashlars. The comparison of the content in K, U, and Th provides interesting results, that seems to be useful to assess the degree of decay of ashlars in buildings that shows slight differences in decay, being a non-destructive tool.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15480,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cultural Heritage","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 20-29"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142661482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sokheng La , Jihyeon Yun , Kyeongmin Lee , Radchada Buntem
{"title":"Technical examination of Wat Sisowath Ratanaram panel painting","authors":"Sokheng La , Jihyeon Yun , Kyeongmin Lee , Radchada Buntem","doi":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The technical examination on the early 20th century panel painting of Wat Sisowath Ratanaram was performed using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Micro-Raman spectroscopy (<em>μ</em>-RAMAN), attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). The investigation shows the mixture of minium, cinnabar and baryte in red preparation layer, quartz from the natural earth pigment in the underpaint layer and the pigments mixed with the additives in the paint layer. There are various pigments found in the paint layer ranging from emerald green, chalk, baryte, chrome yellow, ultramarine blue, carbon black and zinc white. Zinc white was widely utilized as the additive of green, yellow and blue paint layer. In addition, minium and carbon black were used to draw fine lines for image details. The degradation products of gypsum in the paint layer were evidenced by SEM-EDS and XRD. While the darkening of red lead in the red preparation layer was observed by OM. The trace of natural plant resin as a binding meium was found in S_Wood and S_Black samples evidencing by ATR-FTIR and Py-GC/MS. The 7 steps of painting technique were proposed by implementing all detailed scientific information.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15480,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cultural Heritage","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 10-19"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142661382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Antonio Iaccarino Idelson, Otto Bergsma, Roger Groves
{"title":"Methodology for measures of twist and crimp in canvas paintings supports and historical textiles","authors":"Antonio Iaccarino Idelson, Otto Bergsma, Roger Groves","doi":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Twist and crimp values are of paramount importance to the textile industry in understanding the properties and performance of a textile, and their quantification has been a subject of study since the early 20th century. Twist and crimp are the result of how the fibers have been modified from the original bundle to shape the textile, so the industrial methods used to measure them are based on mechanically reversing such deformations. The same information is needed to study the mechanics of historical fabrics such as canvas paintings supports and historical textiles, but they are more difficult to obtain because these are often brittle and impregnated with foreign materials, less homogeneous and very limited in availability for sampling. Therefore, such fundamental parameters are usually unavailable for conservation studies.</div><div>This paper examines the protocols used in the textile industry and proposes new methods, developed from previous research, for the reliable measurement of twist and crimp in historical textiles. The twist measurement method is non-destructive as it is based on observing the textile and the fibers on the surface of the yarn. Crimp is the undulation of the interlaced yarns and its measurement is an invasive examination of the internal structure of the textile, as it requires the observation of individual yarns. Both methods, applied here to a group of historical textiles, provide data in accordance with the current parameters of the textile industry, and their use is relatively simple and inexpensive.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15480,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cultural Heritage","volume":"71 ","pages":"Pages 1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142661486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eva Hartlieb , Pascal Ziegler , Andreas Baumann , Peter Schöler , Peter Eberhard , Stefan Velte , Manuela Wiesend , Daniela Karl
{"title":"On a newly developed transport method for sensitive cradled panel paintings","authors":"Eva Hartlieb , Pascal Ziegler , Andreas Baumann , Peter Schöler , Peter Eberhard , Stefan Velte , Manuela Wiesend , Daniela Karl","doi":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.015","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This publication describes the successful development and application of an unusual new transport frame. The object to be transported is a highly sensitive medieval panel painting with a cradle. Unique clamping mechanisms are developed. These mechanisms secure the panel painting by clamping the cradle battens without direct immission on the original wooden panel. Preliminary studies and the development of this frame system include creating a simulation model using the finite element method for the computer-assisted computation and prediction of the behaviour. The design and realization of the transport of this wooden panel painting combines expertise from the scientific fields of art technology, conservation, mechanics and dynamics with the professional experience of a specialized transport company.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15480,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cultural Heritage","volume":"70 ","pages":"Pages 441-449"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142656481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Hybrid siloxane oligomer: A promising consolidant for the conservation of powdered tremolite jade artifacts","authors":"Zheng Li , Rong Wang , Fanxing Bu , Jizhong Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Jade has played a pivotal role in the political, economic, cultural, and technological development of ancient societies. However, numerous tremolite jade artifacts unearthed from archaeological sites exhibit various deterioration patterns due to natural weathering and human activities. Among these, powdering is the most detrimental form of degradation, significantly affecting the physical characteristics of artifacts, as well as archaeological research and museum exhibitions. This paper develops a novel hybrid siloxane oligomer as a potential consolidant for powdered tremolite jade artifacts and compares it with traditional consolidants, including acrylic resin and ethyl silicate. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses show that the jade samples used in the experiment are predominantly composed of tremolite. Various techniques are employed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of the three consolidants, including color variation tests, open porosity tests, contact angle measurements, peeling tests, hardness tests, ultra-depth-of-field microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The novel hybrid siloxane oligomer demonstrates superior consolidation effects, with consolidated samples showing significant improvements in mechanical properties, reaching a Leeb hardness of 163 HL, while maintaining color variations within acceptable limits (ΔE = 3.87). The results demonstrate the potential of the novel hybrid siloxane oligomer in consolidating powdered tremolite jade artifacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15480,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cultural Heritage","volume":"70 ","pages":"Pages 388-396"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142554658","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"How do water and acid in marine archaeological wood affect its mechanical properties?","authors":"Xunming Gao , Jian Zhao , Jiahui Liu , Lihua Fei , Dong Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.017","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The prolonged burial of marine archaeological wood in seawater mudflats results in the internal saturation of the wood with water, acidification, and salt deposition. Despite the application of desalination, deacidification, and drainage treatments to archaeological wood following excavation, the effects of such environments on wood are irreversible. To understand the effects of moisture content, acidic environments, and insoluble salts (Fe<sub>2</sub>S) on the mechanical properties of marine archaeological wood, this study employed molecular dynamics simulations to analyze the tensile performance of wood cell walls under various conditions. The results indicate that, compared to completely dry wood, water molecules can significantly enhance the tensile strength of wood cell walls. However, in systems with a 12 % moisture content, the tensile strength is lower than in systems with a 4 % moisture content. The worst tensile performance of wood cell walls occurs in acidic and salt-deposition conditions. This is mainly due to the fact that an appropriate amount of moisture enhances the interconnections between wood fibers, whereas acidic and salt deposition conditions disrupt these connections. Additionally, the impact of varying quantities of moisture molecules on the mechanical properties of wood also varies. Further exploring the optimal moisture content for the preservation of waterlogged wooden artifacts, using archaeological fir wood as an example, we constructed models of amorphous wood fibers and matrices with moisture content varying from 0 % to 36 %. The results indicate that the system with 8 % moisture content exhibits optimal mechanical performance. Specifically, the shear modulus and chain-direction elastic modulus reach 4.52 GPa and 12.93 GPa, respectively, representing an increase of 25.2 % and 45.1 % compared to completely dry systems. The molecular mechanism by which moisture content influence the mechanical properties of wood was analyzed through parameters such as mean square displacement, diffusion coefficient, and free volume. It is hypothesised that an appropriate amount of water molecules can fill the gaps between fibers, enhancing the inter-fiber bonding and stiffness, and thereby improving the mechanical properties of wood. However, as water molecules continue to be added, this positive effect diminishes. The objective of our study is to gain insight into the mechanical behavior of archaeological wood cell walls from a molecular perspective. This paves the way for multiscale studies to determine the optimal moisture content for preserving wooden artifacts and to identify environmental conditions that can maximize the mechanical performance of archaeological wooden objects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15480,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cultural Heritage","volume":"70 ","pages":"Pages 431-440"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142656480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Claudio Intrigila , Ilaria Giannetti , Elena Eramo , Roberto Gabrielli , Giovanni Caruso
{"title":"HBIM for conservation and valorization of structural heritage: The Stylite Tower at Umm ar-Rasas, Jordan","authors":"Claudio Intrigila , Ilaria Giannetti , Elena Eramo , Roberto Gabrielli , Giovanni Caruso","doi":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Heritage Building Information Modeling (HBIM) is a consistent approach to support the multidisciplinary process of knowledge, conservation, and valorization of the historical building heritage, exploiting the combination of advanced 3D modelling and heterogeneous informative data. In the present paper, a highly customized HBIM workflow is developed for the enhancement and conservation of the byzantine Stylite Tower in the Jordan archaeological site of Umm ar-Rasas. The case study is considered a benchmark to test the effectiveness and the scalability of the proposed methodology for the broader set of ancient structures located in archaeological sites. The proposed HBIM process has a dual aim: the organization of heterogeneous and fragmented sources concerning the history and the actual state maintenance of the Tower and the development of a flexible tool to perform fast qualitative and quantitative analysis oriented towards conservation and management projects. The small scale of the structure and an innovative semi-automatic modelling process based on visual coding allowed for a stone-by-stone segmentation of the Tower. The model procedure is based on an information management workflow based on CIDOC-CRM ontology and the interchange format Industry Foundation Classes to ensure interoperability, developing an open-access interactive visualization of the model of the Tower, embedding organized document sources. The proposed HBIM model can also be a valuable tool for enhanced monument fruition and dissemination activities of the structure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15480,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cultural Heritage","volume":"70 ","pages":"Pages 397-407"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142554659","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Giovanna Marussi , Elena Pavoni , Matteo Crosera , Andrea Gariboldi , Giada Verk , Gianpiero Adami
{"title":"Archaeometric investigations of Sasanian silver drachmas (6th-7th century AD) using X-ray fluorescence analysis","authors":"Giovanna Marussi , Elena Pavoni , Matteo Crosera , Andrea Gariboldi , Giada Verk , Gianpiero Adami","doi":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis is widely employed in the field of cultural heritage due to its non-destructive nature. µ-EDXRF was used to study 29 Sasanian drachmas from a private collection at the Department of Humanities, University of Trieste. The coins were issued between 499 and 628 AD, during the reigns of four Sasanian kings (Kawad I, Khosrow I, Hormizd IV, and Khosrow II). This study aimed to determine the elemental composition of the alloy's surface, assess the coins’ fineness, and identify potential forgeries or signs of devaluation. Eight XRF spectra were acquired for each sample, revealing a primary composition of Ag, with traces of Cu, Au, and Pb. Semi-quantitative analysis showed Ag content exceeding 95% in nearly all coins, with two suspected forgeries identified (coin no. 13 minted during the reign of Hormizd IV and coin no. 18 from the reign of Khosrow II). Five drachmas from Khosrow II's reign, marked with the inscription “afid”, exhibited Ag content above 99 %, supporting the historical hypothesis of superior quality compared to other drachmas from the same period. Finally, the %Au and the presence of Pb provided further indications on the origin of Ag, allowing hypotheses on the mineral sources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15480,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cultural Heritage","volume":"70 ","pages":"Pages 381-387"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142554660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Structural health monitoring and quantitative safety evaluation methods for ancient stone arch bridges","authors":"Yukun Ma, Qing Chun, Chengwen Zhang, Qi Chen, Bei Peng, Boxu Lin, Quanjun Hua","doi":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ancient stone arch bridge holds significant historical, artistic, and scientific value as a vital cultural heritage. To preventively preserve this cultural heritage, a comprehensive approach involving universal structural health monitoring (SHM) and corresponding safety evaluation methods for ancient stone arch bridges is developed. The initial steps involve the design and arrangement of a monitoring system based on damage records and numerical analysis. Subsequently, an evaluation method utilizing the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is developed with a focus on optimizing weight assignments through an element importance analysis, enabling the calculation of a hierarchical structural safety score from monitoring data to the entire structure to make decisions on structural safety status. An SHM system along with the relevant evaluation framework is field implemented on Lugou bridge as a case study of application. A 15-month monitoring is quantified as a real-time score and reveals that the structure of Lugou Bridge is relatively safe, but structural degradation due to temperature requires special attention. The results show that this framework can be effectively employed as a decision-support tool to inform the real-time structural safety status of various stone arch bridges. The results of this study contribute to the advancement of SHM by providing a decision-making framework for the monitoring and evaluation of ancient stone arch bridges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15480,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cultural Heritage","volume":"70 ","pages":"Pages 366-380"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142554657","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Diego Rivera , Javier Valera , Pedro Jiménez , José María Moreno , José Luis Simón , Victoria Amorós-Ruiz , Sonia Gutiérrez , Lorenzo Abad , Blanca Gamo , Pablo Cánovas , JoaquinA. Ortuño , Juan Gil , José Rodriguez , Maria-Teresa Coronado-Parra , Concepción Obón
{"title":"Analysis of medieval organic remains: Incense in SE Spain","authors":"Diego Rivera , Javier Valera , Pedro Jiménez , José María Moreno , José Luis Simón , Victoria Amorós-Ruiz , Sonia Gutiérrez , Lorenzo Abad , Blanca Gamo , Pablo Cánovas , JoaquinA. Ortuño , Juan Gil , José Rodriguez , Maria-Teresa Coronado-Parra , Concepción Obón","doi":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.culher.2024.10.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The medieval organic materials recovered from Visigothic strata (8th century CE) at El Tolmo de Minateda (Hellín, Albacete, Spain) and from 11th century CE strata at La Graja (Higueruela, Albacete, Spain) were initially identified as incense remains used in religious ceremonies. Utilizing SEM, EDS, FT-IR, and GC–MS techniques, we have refined our understanding of these samples. The El Tolmo materials contain aromatic compounds from various botanical sources, especially conifer resins, indicating a local origin. In contrast, the La Graja samples, dating from the Muslim period, show a predominance of benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol, differing significantly from the El Tolmo findings. The El Tolmo remains, which still emit an incense and smoke aroma, represent a local formulation of ritual incense using nearby botanical species. Conversely, the La Graja remains appear to have undergone intense pyrolysis. The presence of iron on the surface of these samples suggests they may have been in contact with iron, either in containers made of this material or in wooden-handled iron tools as plant-based adhesives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":15480,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cultural Heritage","volume":"70 ","pages":"Pages 422-430"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142593457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}