Exploring the application of instrumental analysis for the conservation of textiles excavated in Greece
This thesis is one outcome of research aimed to raise the awareness of textiles excavated in Greece. The inherently sensitive nature of excavated textiles accounts for the rarity and poor condition of the finds, making them more often than not unidentifiable for the archaeologists, a conservation challenge and a puzzle for textile historians/curators. Conservators are often the intermediary between the objects they care for and the people for whom these objects are preserved. Analytical methods of investigation provide a means of increasing understanding of excavated textiles, and in this way enhance their conservation. Hence, it was decided to experiment with certain nondestructive, instrumental analytical methods of investigation, namely stereo, optical and electron microscopy, coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (ESEM-EDS), FTIR and Raman microspectroscopy, and XRF spectroscopy, with the aim of material characterisation and identification. A survey through the Archives of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture revealed 65 different cases where textiles had been preserved in burial contexts. Four different environments favorable for the preservation of textiles in Greece were identified and four finds
Margariti, Christina
T Technology (General) ; CC Archaeology
Exploring the application of instrumental analysis for the conservation of textiles excavated in Greece. This thesis is one outcome of research aimed to raise the awareness of textiles excavated in Greece. The inherently sensitive nature of excavated textiles accounts for the rarity and poor condition of the finds, making them more often than not unidentifiable for the archaeologists, a conservation challenge and a puzzle for textile historians/curators. Conservators are often the intermediary between the objects they care for and the people for whom these objects are preserved. Analytical methods of investigation provide a means of increasing understanding of excavated textiles, and in this way enhance their conservation. Hence, it was decided to experiment with certain nondestructive, instrumental analytical methods of investigation, namely stereo, optical and electron microscopy, coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (ESEM-EDS), FTIR and Raman microspectroscopy, and XRF spectroscopy, with the aim of material characterisation and identification. A survey through the Archives of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture revealed 65 different cases where textiles had been preserved in burial contexts. Four different environments favorable for the preservation of textiles in Greece were identified and four finds
exploring application instrumental analysis conservation textile excavate greece outcome aim raise_awareness textile excavate greece inherently sensitive nature excavate textile account rarity poor condition find make often archaeologist conservation challenge puzzle textile historians often intermediary object care people object preserve analytical_method investigation provide mean increase excavate textile way enhance conservation hence decide certain instrumental analytical_method investigation namely optical electron_microscopy couple energy_dispersive spectroscopy xrf spectroscopy aim material characterisation identification survey hellenic ministry culture reveal different case textile preserve burial context four_different environment preservation textile greece identify_four find