Synchrotron radiation in art, archaelogy and cultural heritage

Abstract

Scientific investigations aimed to archaeometric analyses, characterization and conservation of archaeological and artistic finds are in general based on a strong interdisciplinary approach, which implies the collaboration among scientists and archaeologists expert in many different fields. In particular, knowledge transfer among research groups is required by the number of different conventional and advanced techniques which can be applied to ancient materials. One of the main requirements imposed by the archaeologists in the studies of ancient and precious materials is that the selected techniques must be non-destructive (or at most micro-destructive). In this scenario, synchrotron radiation-based methods can play a central role, being specifically suitable for micro-non-destructive analyses. This chapter is intended to show how synchrotron radiation-based experiments, employing highly brilliant and collimated micro-beams of X-rays, can be exploited in diffractometric, spectroscopic and imaging investigations of archaeological and artistic objects, obtaining results with unprecedented space and energy resolution.