The application of heritage science in cultural heritage management: end user research

<p>The subject of this Research Master of Science (MSc) carried out in the Science Faculty at theUniversity of Lincoln is the application of heritage science in cultural heritage management.Within this broad area, the focus is on practical end user research that contributes to theinterpretation, documentation and conservation of cultural heritage objects. The aim of theResearch MSc was to address gaps in current knowledge and practice in the heritage sectoridentified in the U.K. National Heritage Science Strategy reports in 2009-2010, as well asspecific questions that came up in conservation projects at the University Museum of Bergenin Norway prior to carrying out the Research MSc. The results of two research components arepresented in the thesis. The first consists of the characterisation of a collection of modernreligious medals from the University Museum of Bergen using portable X-ray fluorescencespectroscopy (pXRF) combined with environmental scanning electron microscopy-energydispersive X-ray spectroscopy (ESEM-EDX) mapping and stereo microscopy. The research wascarried out in collaboration with the Director of the University Museum of Bergen, ProfessorHenrik von Achen, who is also the Senior Curator for the Coins and Medals collections. Theexperimental work in this research component was designed to illustrate the way that thematerials analysis of cultural heritage objects provides information that increases ourunderstanding of the objects and contributes to their documentation, as well as informs thedecision making process for their conservation and long term preservation. By combiningcomplementary analytical techniques it was possible to identify different types of plated andnon-plated metal alloys used to produce the modern religious medals, and in particulardistinguish between the alloys used for the numerous white metal medals in the collection.The information gained facilitates the inclusion of the modern religious medals in the onlinecatalogue of the coins and medals collections at the University Museum of Bergen. The secondresearch component consists of analysing the effects of cleaning treatments in metalsconservation using ESEM images and EDX analysis combined with pXRF analysis. Theexperimental work was designed to provide a visual database or atlas of the effects of a rangeof chemical and abrasive cleaning treatments on the surface of silver, copper, lead and ironcoupons. The ESEM-EDX analyses indicated that there were significant changes in the metalsurfaces after chemical cleaning treatments compared with the milder abrasive cleaningtreatments. The results demonstrated the importance of assessing the pH of chemicalsolutions and the hardness of abrasive materials used in comparison with the hardness of themetal being treated before carrying out irreversible treatments such as cleaning. This practicalend user information contributes to the decision making process for implementing appropriate 6treatments in the conservation and long term preservation of cultural heritage objects withmetals components made of silver, copper, lead and iron and in particular historic objects.</p>