IBA analysis of a laser cleaned archaeological metal object: The San Esteban de Gormaz cross (Soria-Spain)

Current status and future developments of the ion beam facility at the centre of micro-analysis of materials in Madrid

“…Thanks to the sensitivity of PIXE, trace elements such as Fe and Zn were also identified, although this fact is probably related to inclusions of dust, not uniformly distributed over the porous surface or to modern cleaning products. Besides these studies of important collections, other experimental works dealing with pieces of glass [73], minerals [74], and alloys from di↵erent archaeological sites [75][76][77][78] were also carried out at CMAM.…”

Prospective of the application of ultrasounds in archaeology

“…Some examples of this application are the following: imaging of the stern section of a shipwreck obtained by an ultrasound triangulation system composed of three receivers and two emitters [2]; an experimental setup for underwater artefact identification [3]; a cave internal structure based on a 3D model from ultrasound reflections, which was used for several simulations including the sediment flow inside the cave [4]; underground interface estimation to be used in exploration of comparatively large archaeological sites [5]; and a precise localizer and sketcher of archaeological findings after they are extracted by archaeologists [6]. The use of ultrasounds for cleaning in archaeology have covered applications such as ultrasound brushing of archaeological metal-made objects [7], isolating a suspension of binder carbonates from bulk mortars in mortar radiocarbon dating [8], and removal of contaminants in archaeological bone analysis [9]. Some examples of flaw detection applications are the following: visualization of the internal structure of historic relics in wooden pillars of shrines from estimation of the time-of-flight in several measurements through the pillar surface using fan-beam geometry [10]; diagnosis of ancient wooden panel paintings (detection of delaminations between superimposed priming layers and wood support and cracks in the priming layers itself) by using air-coupled ultrasonic technique [11]; 3D microtomography for visualization and reconstruction of voids and cracks within, internal structures, restorative interventions, and the cuts through the original cast works in sculptures [12]; and integrating ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and ultrasounds to evaluate the condition of a Roman marble slab after a fall down during transportation [13].…”