The visual manifestation of the recent Hale-Bopp comet reminds us how telling are those rare objects which suddenly flare in the sky. One can suppose ancient people living by natural light were more compellingly struck by the sight of comets and supernovae, and understandably researchers seek images of them in the shapes of rock-art motifs. An absolute dating contradicts that supposition in respect of a presumed image of the visible supernova of AD 1054.
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We developed a plasma-chemical technique to remove carbon from rock paintings. This extraction is followed by
accelerator mass spectrometric analysis of the 14C to yield direct estimates of the ages of rock paintings. We have demonstrated
use of the technique on charcoal as well as iron and manganese pigmented paintings. Unfortunately, there are no rock paintings made with inorganic pigments that have accurately known ages. That means there are no primary standards for checking the accuracy and validity of our technique on this type of samples. To compensate for this, known age samples (charcoal and Third International Radiocarbon Intercomparison wood) were dated: these support the general validity of this technique.
In this edition of the Preservation Technology Podcast, we meet Eric Schindelholz, a conservator in private practice who specializes in metals and marine archaeological materials. Eric was the principal investigator for a PTT Grant Project that examined methods to dry waterlogged archaeological wood.
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In this edition of the Preservation Technology Podcast, we’ll meet Carla Schroer of Cultural Heritage Imaging. The non-profit organization recently used a PTT Grant to hold a workshop on 3D digital rock art documentation and preservation.
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Much of the information needed for effective archeological preservation is hard to see. For objects, sometimes that information is encased by layers of corrosion. For whole sites, sometimes it is buried beneath centuries of sediment. And sometimes that information is inaccessible simply because it has not been shared with others. In 2009, NCPTT focused on looking “beneath the surface.” It focused on using technology to see what was hidden, to see what preservation clues could be revealed, and, critically, how those discovery methods could be taught to other professionals.
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Today we join NCPTT’s David Morgan as he speaks to Graeme Earl of the University of South Hampton in the UK about digital survey methods in archeology and “born digital” records.
Download Episode 9 as an mp3 or subscribe via iTunes.
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In this episode, Jason Church speaks with Curtis Deselles, an intern with the Materials Research program at NCPTT, discusses the use of eddy currents and eddy current technology in conservation science. Mr. Deselles has built several eddy current analyzers, custom software, and presented on this topic at a non-destructive conference in St. Louis.
NCPTT has been using eddy current technology in preservation and will be bringing this tool to the iPhone platform in 2010. Download Episode 8 as an mp3 or subscribe via iTunes.
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The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), Cane River National Heritage Area (CRNHA), and Cane River Creole National Historic Park (CARI) will showcase recent research at the 9th annual Preservation in Your Community (PIYC) on August 11, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. at NCPTT’s Lee H. Nelson Hall on Northwestern’s campus.
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A variety of materials and methods have been used to preserve ceramic vessels. Many have proven successful, while others are damaging. Monitoring and evaluation of past treatments is a documented research priority in the conservation field. The Arizona State Museum (ASM) has examined, recorded and analyzed the performance of past treatments on 20,000 southwest vessels and a modern storage facility.
This research has afforded the opportunity to look forwards and backwards to identify patterns in archaeological methods, museum management and conservation.
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One of the biggest barriers to the rapid spread of cutting edge, innovative technologies in archeology is cost. Let’s face it: things that end in “-ometer” or “-oscopy” tend to be pricey. And if they are really new, or if their utility in some contexts has yet to be proven, the price remains in the stratosphere [...]
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