A comprehensive evaluation of the development degree and internal impact factors of desiccation cracking in the Sanxingdui archaeological site

Abstract

Desiccation cracking is a common deterioration that occurs in archaeological excavation sites and greatly threatens long-term preservation. The aim of this research is to comprehensively evaluate the development degree of desiccation cracking (DOC) and explore the relationships between soil properties and its development. Seven indicators are selected to comprehensively describe the DOC, and principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to calculate the weight of each indicator. Linear correlation analysis (LCA) is adopted to calculate the correlations of six soil properties and DOC. The results showed that each indicator has an influence on the DOC. The clay particle content, clay mineral content, and plasticity index showed a positive correlation with the DOC, and the moisture content showed a negative correlation. This research proposed a comprehensive evaluation method to describe the development degree of deterioration at the earthen site, and the results revealed the internal factors influencing desiccation cracking from a qualitative perspective, which can lay a foundation for further conservation research.