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Heritage
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X-ray Physics and Digital Imaging for the Study, Preservation and...
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X-ray Physics and Digital Imaging for the Study, Preservation and Protection of Cultural Properties

A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2025 | Viewed by 3439

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Giovanni E. Gigante

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienze di Base e Applicate all’Ingegneria, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Via A. Scarpa 14/16, 00161 Rome, Italy
Interests: materials; cultural heritage conservation and preservation; imaging
Dr. Roberto Cesareo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto di Matematica e Fisica, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Interests: X-ray physics; archaeometry; conservation of CH

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

X-rays have had a leading role in the development of heritage sciences and the conservation of cultural heritage since 1897, when a student of Roentgen took an X-ray of a painting by Dürer. Initially, researchers were attracted by the ability of X-rays to penetrate and thus reveal hidden parts of artifacts. Subsequently, their attention shifted to their extraordinary ability to precisely identify components, whether in crystal or other forms. The advent of very sophisticated sources has made it possible to carry out very effective speciation, often obtaining maps of specific components of the material. Currently, the development of MA-XRF systems has further boosted the  ability to identify the production techniques of the artefact and, in some cases, the transformations that the materials have undergone over time, thus answering the questions of art historians, archaeologists and conservators/ restorers. Over the last decade, there has been an acceleration in the development of techniques owing to the availability of advanced instrumentation and the development of new techniques. Hence, the need to update the state of the art across different sectors into which advanced research in the field of X-rays applied to the diagnostics of cultural heritage can be divided. These simple considerations form the basis of requesting contributions, which, organized into a Special Issue, can outline what is happening within the sector.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) providing insights into the most recent developments in the use of X-ray techniques for the study, preservation and protection of cultural properties. Additionally, contributions may discuss the results that can be obtained both in humanistic research and in the field of property management and conservation.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Digital radiology;
  • X-ray fluorescence (XRF);
  • X-ray diffraction (XRD);
  • X-ray transmission;
  • Portable instrumentation XRF and XRD;
  • MA-XRF application;
  • Synchrotron light application in art and conservation;
  • Tomography and its applications.

Particular attention is paid to multimodal approaches in which X-ray techniques are used together with other techniques. Contributions are particularly welcome in which the notable characteristic of some X-ray techniques being complementary to others are highlighted.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Prof. Dr. Giovanni E. Gigante
Dr. Roberto Cesareo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • X-ray physics
  • XRF
  • XRD
  • digital radiography
  • CT tomography
  • synchrotron light sources and non-conventional X-ray sources
  • X-ray application in archaeometry and archaeological science

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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24 pages, 7872 KiB  
Article
Unveiling the Artistry of Juan Martínez Montañés: Carving and Polychromy in the Santa Clara Church Altarpiece
by Javier Moreno-Soto, Anabelle Križnar, Concepción Moreno-Galindo, Antonio Gamero-Osuna, Francisco José Ager, Agustín Martín-de-Soto and Miguel Ángel Respaldiza
Heritage 2024, 7(8), 4085-4108; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7080192 - 31 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1429
Abstract
Juan Martínez Montañés was one of the most important sculptors and altarpiece architects of the Spanish Golden Age. The restoration of the Santa Clara church in Seville has presented a unique opportunity to study the main altarpiece, crafted by Montañés between 1621 and [...] Read more.
Juan Martínez Montañés was one of the most important sculptors and altarpiece architects of the Spanish Golden Age. The restoration of the Santa Clara church in Seville has presented a unique opportunity to study the main altarpiece, crafted by Montañés between 1621 and 1623. He was also in charge of the polychromy and gilding, believing that delegating these procedures to others would diminish the quality of his work. This conviction led to a well-known lawsuit with the renowned contemporary Spanish painter Francisco Pacheco. Ultimately, the painter and sculptor Baltasar Quintero performed the polychromy of this altarpiece, but under the strict conditions of Montañés. Various non-invasive analytical techniques, such as CT, UVF, XRF, and digital microscopy, were employed to study wood treatment and polychromy. Additionally, three samples were prepared as cross-sections and analysed by SEM-EDX. The results revealed Montañés’ meticulous woodwork, anticipating its long-term preservation. Consistent with Montañés’ commitment to maintaining the superior quality of his work, the analysis showed an absence of a ground layer in the flesh areas, while the gilding was executed with high-quality gold. The pigment palette corresponds to the treaties and documents of his time, and the extensive areas of later retouches were accurately located. These new data provide a deeper understanding of both the technique and the high standards of one of the most important and globally recognised sculptors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Physics and Digital Imaging for the Study, Preservation and Protection of Cultural Properties)
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13 pages, 4469 KiB  
Article
Practices and Rules of 16th Century Genoese Gilding: Exploring Gold Leaf Thickness and Caratage through X-ray and Ion Beam Techniques
by Letizia Ciarlo, Massimo Chiari, Maria Clelia Galassi, Maurizio Ferretti, Elias Sideras-Haddad, Alessandro Zucchiatti and Elena Castagnotto
Heritage 2024, 7(7), 3630-3642; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7070172 - 11 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 707
Abstract
This study investigates the practices and rules of Genoese gilding, drawing insights from a 16th-century manuscript containing regulations for gold leaf production. Employing X-ray and ion beam techniques, we quantitatively assess the manuscript’s gold leaf thickness without destructive sampling. Artisanal goldbeater-produced leaves of [...] Read more.
This study investigates the practices and rules of Genoese gilding, drawing insights from a 16th-century manuscript containing regulations for gold leaf production. Employing X-ray and ion beam techniques, we quantitatively assess the manuscript’s gold leaf thickness without destructive sampling. Artisanal goldbeater-produced leaves of different thicknesses, applied with a guazzo or mordant technique, served as standards. Further analysis of samples with unknown thickness from the furniture of Palazzo Spinola di Pellicceria in Genoa (Italy) has confirmed the method’s applicability to practical cases. External beam Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) and particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analyses were carried out using 3 MeV protons at the LABEC accelerator laboratory in Florence. A linear relationship between Gold Lα peak yield and leaf thickness, as measured by RBS, has been established for optimal calibration of portable or hand-held X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) instrumentation for in situ measurements. Moreover, the caratage of the gold foil preserved in the manuscript has been assessed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Physics and Digital Imaging for the Study, Preservation and Protection of Cultural Properties)
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Review

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36 pages, 19254 KiB  
Review
Use of Computerised X-ray Tomography in the Study of the Fabrication Methods and Conservation of Ceramics, Glass and Stone Building Materials
by Sean P. Rigby
Heritage 2024, 7(10), 5687-5722; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7100268 - 10 Oct 2024
Viewed by 659
Abstract
This work will review and discuss the use of computerised X-ray tomography (CXT) for analysing ancient, manufactured items, like stone building materials, glass and ceramics. It will consider particular techniques required, and/or of benefit, for CXT of heritage materials, such as special precautions [...] Read more.
This work will review and discuss the use of computerised X-ray tomography (CXT) for analysing ancient, manufactured items, like stone building materials, glass and ceramics. It will consider particular techniques required, and/or of benefit, for CXT of heritage materials, such as special precautions during the experimentation to ensure there is no damage to the materials, special imaging methods such as elemental-specific imaging, and sample-specific image analysis requirements. This study shows how the knowledge of internal features, particularly pores, discerned from CXT can be used to reverse engineer the artefact fabrication process. CXT can be used to obtain information on both the raw materials (such as types and impurities) and fabrication techniques used. These abilities can then be used to establish technological evolution and the incidence of ancient behaviours like recycling and allow the linking of particular items to specific production sites. It will also be seen how CXT can aid the development of effective conservation techniques. This work will also consider how conclusions drawn from CXT data can be amended or augmented by the use of complementary non-destructive characterisation methods, such as gas overcondensation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue X-ray Physics and Digital Imaging for the Study, Preservation and Protection of Cultural Properties)
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