Materials Surface Science Applied to the Investigation of Cultural Heritage Artefacts

The skill of ancient artisans manufacturing artistic or everyday artworks surprises the modern material scientists. We show, through the study of archaeological pieces, how laboratory research instruments use enlightens the fabrication processes of unique items at antic periods. The specificity of surface science research favouring non-invasive means for investigations on museum objects is emphasised. The examples concern:

- Nanostructured layers on ceramic surface to obtain the so-called lustre effect, invented by ancient Islam potters;

- Intentional coloration of metallic objects by chemical patination, attested in Egypt on 2nd millenary BC and still applied by Japanese artisans;

- The history of gilding objects: leaf gilding, mercury gilding, and other processes;

- The Fresco technique, a perennial wall painting, known by ancient Roman and propagated through centuries.

The examples open new fields belonging to the modern materials science, to understand the mechanism involved in processes with the constraint that one does not know all the fabrication steps.