Analysing Objects to Tailor Environmental Preventive Conservation
This work explores the potential of analyzing individual objects to improve their preventive conservation. Previously, environmental recommendations have been based on an average or worst response of material groups. Cultural heritage objects are extremely variable and within a group such as archaeo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Heritage |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/6/1/11 |
| _version_ | 1797441866393714688 |
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| author | David Thickett Nicola Emmerson Rene Larsen Marianne Odlyha David Watkinson |
| author_facet | David Thickett Nicola Emmerson Rene Larsen Marianne Odlyha David Watkinson |
| author_sort | David Thickett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This work explores the potential of analyzing individual objects to improve their preventive conservation. Previously, environmental recommendations have been based on an average or worst response of material groups. Cultural heritage objects are extremely variable and within a group such as archaeological iron a very wide range of responses are shown. Characterizing a single object’s response allows its environment to be tailored to its requirements and can enable significant resource and carbon footprint savings. Three main approaches are considered with a material explored in detail including preventive conservation ramifications. Composition analysis is investigated through the stability of limestones. The critical concentrations of soluble salts causing surface deterioration in one environment has been explored. A more rapid method of analyzing clays in acid insoluble fractions from drillings and undertaking that analysis non-invasively has been developed. Measuring deterioration rates is explored through oxygen consumption analyses of archaeological iron. The distributions of previously published data are explored and the changes in rates examined. A scheme for parchment based on shrinkage temperatures and observations is presented for the first time and its use illustrated with a newly acquired letter. The type of work required to produce these schemes is explored with leather. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:32:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f20cfe33ee204ba593794e2f2600a8e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-9408 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:32:20Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heritage |
| spelling | doaj.art-f20cfe33ee204ba593794e2f2600a8e72023-11-30T22:28:57ZengMDPI AGHeritage2571-94082022-12-016121223510.3390/heritage6010011Analysing Objects to Tailor Environmental Preventive ConservationDavid Thickett0Nicola Emmerson1Rene Larsen2Marianne Odlyha3David Watkinson4English Heritage Trust, London SE10 8QX, UKSchool of History, Archaeology and Religion, University of Cardiff, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UKConservation Zealand-Knowledge Centre for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, 4600 Køge, DenmarkDepartment of Biological Sciences Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UKSchool of History, Archaeology and Religion, University of Cardiff, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UKThis work explores the potential of analyzing individual objects to improve their preventive conservation. Previously, environmental recommendations have been based on an average or worst response of material groups. Cultural heritage objects are extremely variable and within a group such as archaeological iron a very wide range of responses are shown. Characterizing a single object’s response allows its environment to be tailored to its requirements and can enable significant resource and carbon footprint savings. Three main approaches are considered with a material explored in detail including preventive conservation ramifications. Composition analysis is investigated through the stability of limestones. The critical concentrations of soluble salts causing surface deterioration in one environment has been explored. A more rapid method of analyzing clays in acid insoluble fractions from drillings and undertaking that analysis non-invasively has been developed. Measuring deterioration rates is explored through oxygen consumption analyses of archaeological iron. The distributions of previously published data are explored and the changes in rates examined. A scheme for parchment based on shrinkage temperatures and observations is presented for the first time and its use illustrated with a newly acquired letter. The type of work required to produce these schemes is explored with leather.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/6/1/11soluble saltsclaysoxygen depletionshrinkage temperatureleatherparchment |
| spellingShingle | David Thickett Nicola Emmerson Rene Larsen Marianne Odlyha David Watkinson Analysing Objects to Tailor Environmental Preventive Conservation Heritage soluble salts clays oxygen depletion shrinkage temperature leather parchment |
| title | Analysing Objects to Tailor Environmental Preventive Conservation |
| title_full | Analysing Objects to Tailor Environmental Preventive Conservation |
| title_fullStr | Analysing Objects to Tailor Environmental Preventive Conservation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analysing Objects to Tailor Environmental Preventive Conservation |
| title_short | Analysing Objects to Tailor Environmental Preventive Conservation |
| title_sort | analysing objects to tailor environmental preventive conservation |
| topic | soluble salts clays oxygen depletion shrinkage temperature leather parchment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/6/1/11 |
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