PRESENTATION, INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP
In accordance to the project The awakening of the Manuelin foral charters: science and technology insights into the masterpiece (PTDC/EAT-EAT/112662/2009), financed by the Foundation for Science and Technology, in which participate: the Centre for Atomic Physics, University of Lisbon (CFA-UL), the National Archive of Torre do Tombo (AN-TT) and the Institute of Museums and Conservation, IP (IMC), there was an invitation to present one communication at the 2nd international workshop on physical and chemical analytical techniques in cultural heritage.
- Tissot, Isabel, Guerra, M. Filomena, The importance of being… data. The study of gold-work by scientific techniques, 2nd International workshop: "Physical and chemical analytical techniques in cultural heritage", Foundation for Science and Technology (fin.), Atomic Physics Centre, University of Lisbon, 4-5'Jun., 2012, Lisbon.
Abstract
The technological, metallurgical and conservation studies of gold work involve the use of various analytical and morphological techniques, which are applied to clarify different research approaches. Research on manufacture technologies, provenance of raw materials and surface corrosion engage the use of different science-based techniques. These techniques, which give multi-depth and multi-scale morphological information over the object itself, as well as information concerning the elemental, isotopic and structural composition of the materials, should be selected accordingly to the aroused questions, which can be solved. The choice for adequate techniques results from a combination of insight knowledge over the following topics:
i) scientific techniques, specific requirements concerning detection limits, space resolution, and so on, but particularly the fact that samples are, in general, not allowed in the case of gold work;
ii) fabrication process of the object, which means the different steps between raw material and finalized object;
iii) physical and chemical characteristics of the different materials used in its fabrication;
iv) state of conservation of the object, for example identify possible cleaning and restorationtreatments,which could have been done to particular components of the objects, or even their new replacements, changing their chemical and physical characteristics. The selection of the area for analysis is a key step of the analytical protocol.
After the selection of the most adequate scientific technique, there is another important step to achieve optimal results – the data interpretation. In this work it is proposed for discussion some examples of gold objects having possible mistaken sources, when they are not carefully examined and considered. It will be shown the results of wrong data interpretation and the issues raised by the use of inappropriate techniques.
