Microgeophysics and geomatics data integration reveals the internal fracturing conditions of the statue of Ramses II (Museo Egizio, Torino, Italy)

Abstract

The combined acquisition of 3D ultrasonic tomography and radar scans is growing for cultural heritage diagnostics. Both methods proved to be efficient in the detection and location of fractures and weaknesses within the investigated artefacts. Although the two techniques are widely applied together, an integrated approach for data interpretation is still missing. We present the results of radar and ultrasonic prospections carried out on the statue of the young Ramses II, an absolute masterpiece of the Egyptian art preserved in the collection of the Museo Egizio of Torino (Italy). Geophysical results are incorporated within the 3D model of the statue retrieved from total station measurements, ground-based and handheld laser scanning. A data integration approach is then proposed for the joint interpretation of the geophysical results, exploiting the final ultrasonic velocity model and radar attribute analysis (i.e. local dissimilarity computation) to define a combined damage index. The proposed methodology is efficient in fracture detection and location and improves the readability of the final results also for non-expert geophysical interpreters, offering guidance to the museum for preservation and restoration of the masterpiece.

Prehistoric and Early Roman Period Goldwork from Northwestern Iberia: An Analytical Study of Artefacts from the Archaeological and Historical Museum of A Coruña

“…The archaeometric characterisation of the ancient goldwork has seen a remarkable boost in recent years, to which the progressive increase in the use of non-destructive analytical techniques and portable instrumentation has contributed significantly [18][19][20][21][22][23]. In particular, in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula, following Hartmann's [24] pioneering work, in the last 15 years, a significant dataset has been generated by means of XRF through the analysis of collections such as those of the Provincial Museum of Lugo [6,7], Castro de Viladonga Museum [25], National Archaeological Museum-Madrid [26,27], Mariñas Museum-Betanzos [28], National Archaeological Museum-Lisbon [29], Pilgrimage Museum-Santiago [11,12] and Asturias Archaeological Museum-Oviedo [30].…”