Applying Innovative Technologies In Heritage Science

Heritage science, a cross-disciplinary field of study that emphasizes research on cultural interpretation and management, has seen significant development in recent years. Modern technology has opened new innovations and possibilities for scientific cooperation that produces several benefits that affect multiple aspects of this scientific field. Applying Innovative Technologies in Heritage Science is a collection of progressive studies on the methods and applications of the technological implications and scientific advancements within heritage and cultural research to bridge the once unbridgeable gap between science and humanities. While highlighting topics including digital archives, cultural data, and chemical documentation, this book is ideally designed for archaeologists, museologists, conservationists, preservationists, librarians, researchers, educators, cultural heritage professionals, academicians, and students.

Heritage science, a cross-disciplinary field of study that emphasizes research on cultural interpretation and management, has seen significant development in recent years. Modern technology has opened new innovations and possibilities for scientific cooperation that produces several benefits that affect multiple aspects of this scientific field. Applying Innovative Technologies in Heritage Science is a collection of progressive studies on the methods and applications of the technological implications and scientific advancements within heritage and cultural research to bridge the once unbridgeable gap between science and humanities. While highlighting topics including digital archives, cultural data, and chemical documentation, this book is ideally designed for archaeologists, museologists, conservationists, preservationists, librarians, researchers, educators, cultural heritage professionals, academicians, and students.

This book presents selected work from the Florence Heri-Tech, a conference focused on the use of innovative technologies and methods for analyzing, managing, and preserving cultural heritage. This book presents chapters on the chemical and physical advancement in the development of new materials and methods for the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. It also covers trends in conservation and restoration technology: biotechnology, nanotechnology, tailored materials, and physical technologies. The reader also finds information on methods and instruments for the conservation diagnosis and treatments.

"This book explores the ways in which science and technology are bridging the gap between science and the humanities"--

Handbook of Research on Technologies and Cultural Heritage: Applications and Environments covers the many important uses information communication technology in enhancing the experience at cultural environments. From museums, to archaeological sites, to festivals and artistic events to even government institutions and public buildings, information communication technology is revolutionizing the way the public participates at and with these cultural sites, and this reference source provides both a thorough exploration of this revolution and springboard for future discoveries.

From 2nd to 5th October 2012 an International Congress on Science and Technology for the conservation of Cultural Heritage was held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, organized by the Universidade of Santiago de Compostela on behalf of TechnoHeritage Network. The congress was attended by some 160 participants from 10 countries, which presented a total of 145 contributions among plenary lectures, oral, and poster communications. The congress was dedicated to eight topics, namely (1) Environmental assessment and monitoring (pollution, climate change, natural events, etc.) of Cultural Heritage; (2) Agents and mechanisms of deterioration of Cultural Heritage (physical, chemical, biological), including deterioration of modern materials used in Contemporary Art and information storage; (3) Development of new instruments, non invasive technologies and innovative solutions for analysis, protection and conservation of Cultural Heritage; (4) New products and materials for conservation and maintenance of Cultural Heritage; (5) Preservation of industrial and rural heritage from the 19th and 20th centuries; (6) Security technologies, Remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems for protection and management of Cultural Heritage; (7) Significance and social value of Cultural Heritage; and (8) Policies for conservation of Cultural Heritage. This volume publishes a total of ninety-three contributions which reflect some of the most recent responses to the challenge of cultural assets conservation.

This book describes the current, concrete status of terahertz (THz) technology applied to scientific diagnoses of cultural heritage objects for conservation planning as well as for historical interest. It is unlike other THz-related scientific books in optics series, which only describe technologies and the physics behind them. A new method utilizing THz technology is introduced, which will help conservators and historians to analyse art objects at their museums. By using pulse echoes, THz imaging can noninvasively show internal structures such as layers in paintings and internal defects or additional pieces in objects. The biggest advantage of THz technology in heritage science is that THz waves can reveal the condition of preparation layers and supports of paintings that cannot be observed by other nondestructive testing methods, such as infrared (IR) or X-ray radiography. The condition of supports and preparation layers determine the lifetime of the paintings, so that their condition is the key factor for conservation planning. The comparison with existing classic methods for scientific analyses is extremely important in the context of introducing new technologies in any research field, since most conservators and heritage scientists have their own protocols for classic methods. This book compares THz results not only with visible cross sections obtained using destructive methods, but also mid-IR, near IR, UV, X-ray, and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR), which are considered to be nondestructive methods. The book suggests future work that can be done by THz specialists, especially concerning the development of THz cameras, and by engineers and scientists in other fields, such as signal processing and chemistry, as well as by conservators.

"This book explores the relations between four main topics: information and communications technology, cultural heritage, etourism, and assistive technologies and accessibilities. The book contains a comprehensive collection of research trends on contemporary ICT systems and application in cultural heritage and tourism on the design, evaluation, implementation and use of innovative technologies on the field"--

How can emerging technologies display, reveal and negotiate difficult, dissonant, negative or undesirable heritage? Emerging technologies in museums have the potential to reveal unheard or silenced stories, challenge preconceptions, encourage emotional responses, introduce the unexpected, and overall provide alternative experiences. By examining varied theoretical approaches and case studies, authors demonstrate how “awkward”, contested, and rarely discussed subjects and stories are treated – or can be potentially treated - in a museum setting with the use of the latest technology.

Heritage is everywhere, and an understanding of our past is increasingly critical to the understanding of our contemporary cultural context and place in global society. Visual Heritage in the Digital Age presents the state-of-the-art in the application of digital technologies to heritage studies, with the chapters collectively demonstrating the ways in which current developments are liberating the study, conservation and management of the past. Digital approaches to heritage have developed significantly over recent decades in terms of both the quantity and range of applications. However, rather than merely improving and enriching the ways in which we understand and engage with the past, this technology is enabling us to do this in entirely new ways. The chapters contained within this volume present a broad range of technologies for capturing data (such as high-definition laser scanning survey and geophysical survey), modelling (including GIS, data fusion, agent-based modelling), and engaging with heritage through novel digital interfaces (mobile technologies and the use of multi-touch interfaces in public spaces). The case studies presented include sites, landscapes and buildings from across Europe, North and Central America, and collections relating to the ancient civilisations of the Middle East and North Africa. The chronological span is immense, extending from the end of the last ice age through to the twentieth century. These case studies reveal new ways of approaching heritage using digital tools, whether from the perspective of interrogating historical textual data, or through the applications of complexity theory and the modelling of agents and behaviours. Beyond the data itself, Visual Heritage in the Digital Age also presents fresh ways of thinking about digital heritage. It explores more theoretical perspectives concerning the role of digital data and the challenges that are presented in terms of its management and preservation.