In cultural heritage conservation science, moisture content (MC) is an essential factor to determ... more In cultural heritage conservation science, moisture content (MC) is an essential factor to determine. At the same time, it is essential to choose non-destructive and non-invasive approaches for more sustainable investigations and make them safe for the environment and the sample. The question addressed in this work concerns the possibility and the opportunity to investigate waterlogged wood by using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) clinical scanners to carry out non-destructive volumetric diagnostics. In this study, MRI, the most important non-invasive medical imaging technique for human tissue analysis, was applied to study archaeological waterlogged wood samples. This type of archaeological material has a very high moisture content (400%-800%), thus, it is an ideal investigative subject for MRI which detects water molecules inside matter. By following this methodology, it was possible to obtain information about water content and conservation status through a T1, T2, and T2* weighted image analysis, without any sampling or handling, and the samples were directly scanned in the water where they were stored. Furthermore, it permited processing 3D reconstruction, which could be an innovative tool for the digitalization of marine archaeological collections. In this work, 16 modern species of wood and a waterlogged archaeological wood sample were studied and investigated using a clinical NMR scanner operating at 3T. The results were compared with X-ray computed tomography (CT) images, as they had already been used for dendrochronology. The comparison highlights the similar, different, and complementary information about moisture content and conservation status in an allin-one methodology obtainable from both MRI and CT techniques.
The Future of Heritage Science and Technologies. Florence Heri-Tech 2022. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering, 2022
Painted between 1557 and 1566 by Giorgio Vasari and Giovanni Stradano, the polychrome wooden ceil... more Painted between 1557 and 1566 by Giorgio Vasari and Giovanni Stradano, the polychrome wooden ceiling of the Terrace of Saturn at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence (Italy) is one of the case studies of the Smart4CH2 project. During the diagnostic campaign, data from scientific analysis and monitoring of environmental conditions were collected to identify the materials and techniques used and to assess the state of conservation of the ceiling. A multi- analytical characterisation, both in situ and in the laboratory, was performed on the Terrace ceiling. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) was adopted as a preliminary on-site investigation, while on the samples collected, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy and Optical Microscopy (OM) were employed. Pigments, binders, painting technique and restorations were identified. Materials under characterisation have revealed that their majority was applied during previous restoration works and they are affected by several decay processes. Results were combined with data collected by thermo-hygrometric data loggers located close to the ceiling and in the attic too. The analysis of the correlation between diagnostic results and environmental conditions will point out whether the decay processes are still ongoing.
ESRARC 2015. 7th European Symposium on Religious Art, Restoration & Conservation. Proceeding Book, 2015
This work presents the case study on the restoration of the Infant Jesus of Prague from Macchia G... more This work presents the case study on the restoration of the Infant Jesus of Prague from Macchia Giarre (Catania, Italy), an interesting plaster cast dated to 1928, with votive-processional use whose relevance is mainly linked to its liturgical significance. On 6 of January 2013 the statue was damaged during the traditional procession in honour of the Infant Jesus, making necessary an urgent restoration. On that occasion, the statue was investigated both from an historical point of view and also with modern technological instruments in order to gather information on the structure and on the materials. In particular the Infant Jesus of Prague was examined by computerized axial tomography. The materials used for restoration were characterized by X-ray spectroscopy in order to evaluate their suitability for the intervention.
Painted between 1557 and 1566 by Giorgio Vasari and Giovanni Stradano, the polychrome wooden ceil... more Painted between 1557 and 1566 by Giorgio Vasari and Giovanni Stradano, the polychrome wooden ceiling of the Terrace of Saturn at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence (Italy) is one of the case studies of the Smart4CH2 project. During the diagnostic campaign, data from scientific analysis and monitoring of environmental conditions were collected to identify the materials and techniques used and to assess the state of conservation of the ceiling. A multi- analytical characterisation, both in situ and in the laboratory, was performed on the Terrace ceiling. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) was adopted as a preliminary on-site investigation, while on the samples collected, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy and Optical Microscopy (OM) were employed. Pigments, binders, painting techniques and restorations were identified. Materials under characterisation have revealed that their majority were applied during previous restoration works and they are affected by several decay processes. Results were combined with data collected by thermo-hygrometric data loggers located close to the ceiling and in the attic too. The analysis of the correlation between diagnostic results and environmental conditions will point out whether the decay processes are still ongoing.
Monitoring moisture content and detecting the presence of soluble salts in archaeological waterlo... more Monitoring moisture content and detecting the presence of soluble salts in archaeological waterlogged wood remains is a key issue for their conservation. Evanescent field dielectrometry (EFD), originally applied to frescoes and mural painting investigation is proposed as a novel tool for the real-time detection of soluble salts inside waterlogged wood samples. Preliminary measurements on archaeological samples from Denmark were performed to provide the basis for on-site monitoring of the rinse process required before consolidation treatment.
The identification and characterization of wood material represent an ongoing challenge for artef... more The identification and characterization of wood material represent an ongoing challenge for artefacts of interest in cultural heritage. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and micro-Raman (MRS) spectroscopies and more recently Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS), being non-destructive techniques, have been largely used for the analysis of painted wood. In this work, for the first time, the X-ray Computed Tomography (CT), using a CT medical scanner, was adopted to discriminate three types of wood, usually used in the construction of heritage objects. Wood interior features have been identified in CT images processed through the volumetric rendering technique (VRT), without the need to destructively “take out” a piece of the sample. The information at the macroscopic level collected by CT (density, volumes, morphology, etc.) was enriched by the evidence, at the microscopic level, obtained by the Raman and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. So, the samples have been classified in softwood and hardwood, with the advantage with respect to the conventional analytical methods to be able to distinguish specific structures within the cell walls only through the CT diagnostic technique. Ultimately, a new non-destructive approach is proposed to analyze wood-based heritage objects, but which can be also extended to other materials (i.e., pigments, glues, consolidants).
Volterra (Pisa) – Anfiteatro romano. Notizie preliminari, in NSc, 2021
L'articolo riguarda i risultati preliminari delle ricerche effettuate dal team CNR nell'ambito de... more L'articolo riguarda i risultati preliminari delle ricerche effettuate dal team CNR nell'ambito dello scavo archeologico dell'anfiteatro romano di Volterra, relativamente ai rilievi fotogrammetrici e alle analisi archeometriche sulle malte e sui reperti organici.
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance micro-imaging (μMRI) approach with multiparametric measurement and FTI... more Nuclear Magnetic Resonance micro-imaging (μMRI) approach with multiparametric measurement and FTIR spectroscopy was adopted to investigate silver fir. In particular, we investigated weakly interacting and bound water, detected by NMR and FTIR techniques, hypothesizing a water interaction with the main structures of the wood. For instance, by means of NMR analyses, we obtain information about the principal wood morphological/structural modifications, which are associated with humification processes, reflected in the changes of aromatic C-H and C-O vibration modes shown by FTIR. Thus, the combined use of NMR and FTIR allows characterizing the mobility of water with respect to lignin and cellulose features, which can serve as a benchmark for wood degradation conditions.
A modern approach to the diagnosis of artistic heritage makes use of non-destructive techniques w... more A modern approach to the diagnosis of artistic heritage makes use of non-destructive techniques which avoid damage to artworks or signs of interaction with the analytical technique used. For this reason, today, the employment of X-rays to study artistic heritage is quite widespread. Computed tomography (CT) Imaging was first used as specialized medical diagnostic tool in the early 1970s. Today, CT scanners have become more common, and non-destructive three-dimensional imaging has found an increasing number of uses in different areas such as materials research, geology, archaeology, and museum conservation. In this work, a new generation of clinical CT (based on the Dual Energy and multi-slice acquisition principle) is used to investigate an Egyptian wooden mummy board with a total acquisition time of 93.23 seconds and a voxel size of 0.078 × 0.078 × 1.5 mm. The use of two distinct techniques of image post-processing, the two-dimensional multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) and the three-dimensional volume rendering technique (VRT) allowed us to: evaluate the state of conservation of the mummy board, determine how the wooden object was implemented, recognize a nineteenth-century intervention of consolidation, and advance the hypothesis that the wooden planks were reused. In particular, we highlight the use of the cardiovascular and pulmonary filter with VRT reconstruction, which allows a virtual elimination of different parts of the mummy board to investigate those areas otherwise accessible only by removing parts of the board and thus damaging the work.
Aqueous solutions of amphiphilic molecules are characterized by the competition between hydrophil... more Aqueous solutions of amphiphilic molecules are characterized by the competition between hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions. These interactions have a different energetic dependence with the temperature. Whereas hydrophilic interactions have been well characterized, a complete theory for the hydrophobic ones is still lacking as well as the comprehension of the effect that the solvent exerts on the solute and vice versa. In this paper from the measured relaxation time, we evaluated the thermodynamic state functions of water-methanol solutions in the frame of the transition state theory. In particular we study the behavior of the Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and entropy of water, methanol and some of their solutions as a function of both temperature and water molar fraction. Our results indicate that the temperature of about 280 K represents a crossover between two regions dominated by hydrophobicity (high T) and hydrophilicity (low T).
The thermal properties of an extra Virgin Olive Oil (eVOO) depend on its composition and indeed c... more The thermal properties of an extra Virgin Olive Oil (eVOO) depend on its composition and indeed characterize its quality. Many studies have shown that the freezing and melting behaviors of eVOOs can serve for geographical or chemical discrimination. We use Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy to study the evolution of the fatty acids bands as a function of temperature during freezing and melting processes. In such a way we can follow separately the variations in the thermal properties of the different molecular groups during these thermodynamic phase transitions. The data indicate that the methyl group which is at the end of every fatty chain displays the major changes during both freezing and melting processes.
A systematic and complete chemical and physical characterisation of painted pigments on wood samp... more A systematic and complete chemical and physical characterisation of painted pigments on wood samples was carried out using multislice X-ray computed tomography (MSCT) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) techniques. Inorganic and organic pigments present on the wooden tablets were differentiated by MSCT determinations of Hounsfield units, a semi-quantitative method for measuring X-ray attenuation that, in turn, offers an indirect estimation of a material’s density. However, the MSCT technique is not as reliable as traditional spectroscopic techniques for recognising and classifying organic pigments. Nevertheless, a strength of the MSCT approach was its ability to simultaneously provide a volumetric view of the wood and segment the layers of the specimen using suitable reconstruction methods such as is generally done for biomedical applications. Furthermore, the SERS technique made it possible to identify the type of material present in the pigments (for both inorganic or organic materials) with a high spatial resolution, even pigments in mixtures or those applied directly on the investigated wooden support. The combined MSCT and SERS data obtained through this systematic investigation constitutes the basis for the assembly of larger reference databases that will ultimately support the development of long-term conservation protocols.
High‐resolution NMR images on three different present‐day wood samples and an archaeological wood... more High‐resolution NMR images on three different present‐day wood samples and an archaeological wood specimen were presented and discussed. Although the spatial resolution is still low to perform dendrology for the exact identification of the wooden species, the T2‐spin‐density weighted images exhibit contrasts that are in excellent agreement with optical histological images. On the other hand, T2* and T1‐weighted images provide physiological information that is not obtainable by the usual light microscopic investigations. Moreover, the diffusion‐weighted images show the anisotropic behavior of the water diffusion coefficient quantified along and perpendicularly to vascular bundles (vessels and tracheids), which can be related to the morphology and size of wooden microstructure. This work suggests that high‐resolution multiparametric MRI may be a useful tool to increase the information obtainable from the waterlogged archaeological wood remains in a completely non‐invasive and non‐destructive approach. Therefore, it would be desirable to further develop the hardware and functional characteristics of MRI scanners to improve their potential application in the field of wooden cultural heritage.
IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering, 2020
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance micro-imaging (μMRI) approach with multiparametric measurement and FTI... more Nuclear Magnetic Resonance micro-imaging (μMRI) approach with multiparametric measurement and FTIR spectroscopy was adopted to investigate Silver Fir. In particular, we investigated weakly interacting and bound water, detected by NMR and FTIR techniques, hypothesizing a water interaction with the main structures of the wood. For instance, by means of NMR analyses, we obtain information about the principal wood morphological/structural modifications, which are associated with humification processes, reflected in the changes of aromatic C-H and C-O vibration modes shown by FTIR. Thus, the combined use of NMR and FTIR allows to characterize the mobility of water with respect to lignin and cellulose features, which can serve as a benchmark for wood degradation conditions.
Clinical multislice X-Ray Computed Tomography investigation was performed on a 17th-century panel... more Clinical multislice X-Ray Computed Tomography investigation was performed on a 17th-century panel painting from the collection of the National Academy of San Luca Gallery in Rome. The use of MSCT allowed us to detect the numerous peculiarities related to the wood used, the execution technique and its conservation, leading to a complete preliminary interpretation of structural characteristics of wooden panel.
IMEKO 2019 TC-4 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage , 2019
The results of Multi-slice X-ray Computed Tomography (MSCT) and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering... more The results of Multi-slice X-ray Computed Tomography (MSCT) and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) study performed on representative organic and inorganic ancient pigments painted on wooden support are presented and discussed. Clear Raman spectra were acquired for organic pigments such as a madder lake, overcoming their fluorescence and weak Raman scattering drawbacks. MSCT Hounsfield Units (HU) measurements show the ability to differentiate the materials, building a volumetric view and, with appropriate algorithms, to segment the layers of the specimen using suitable reconstructions. All these results in combination allowed a complete chemical-physical characterisation of painted pigments on wood samples.
In cultural heritage conservation science, moisture content (MC) is an essential factor to determ... more In cultural heritage conservation science, moisture content (MC) is an essential factor to determine. At the same time, it is essential to choose non-destructive and non-invasive approaches for more sustainable investigations and make them safe for the environment and the sample. The question addressed in this work concerns the possibility and the opportunity to investigate waterlogged wood by using nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) clinical scanners to carry out non-destructive volumetric diagnostics. In this study, MRI, the most important non-invasive medical imaging technique for human tissue analysis, was applied to study archaeological waterlogged wood samples. This type of archaeological material has a very high moisture content (400%-800%), thus, it is an ideal investigative subject for MRI which detects water molecules inside matter. By following this methodology, it was possible to obtain information about water content and conservation status through a T1, T2, and T2* weighted image analysis, without any sampling or handling, and the samples were directly scanned in the water where they were stored. Furthermore, it permited processing 3D reconstruction, which could be an innovative tool for the digitalization of marine archaeological collections. In this work, 16 modern species of wood and a waterlogged archaeological wood sample were studied and investigated using a clinical NMR scanner operating at 3T. The results were compared with X-ray computed tomography (CT) images, as they had already been used for dendrochronology. The comparison highlights the similar, different, and complementary information about moisture content and conservation status in an allin-one methodology obtainable from both MRI and CT techniques.
The Future of Heritage Science and Technologies. Florence Heri-Tech 2022. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering, 2022
Painted between 1557 and 1566 by Giorgio Vasari and Giovanni Stradano, the polychrome wooden ceil... more Painted between 1557 and 1566 by Giorgio Vasari and Giovanni Stradano, the polychrome wooden ceiling of the Terrace of Saturn at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence (Italy) is one of the case studies of the Smart4CH2 project. During the diagnostic campaign, data from scientific analysis and monitoring of environmental conditions were collected to identify the materials and techniques used and to assess the state of conservation of the ceiling. A multi- analytical characterisation, both in situ and in the laboratory, was performed on the Terrace ceiling. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) was adopted as a preliminary on-site investigation, while on the samples collected, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy and Optical Microscopy (OM) were employed. Pigments, binders, painting technique and restorations were identified. Materials under characterisation have revealed that their majority was applied during previous restoration works and they are affected by several decay processes. Results were combined with data collected by thermo-hygrometric data loggers located close to the ceiling and in the attic too. The analysis of the correlation between diagnostic results and environmental conditions will point out whether the decay processes are still ongoing.
ESRARC 2015. 7th European Symposium on Religious Art, Restoration & Conservation. Proceeding Book, 2015
This work presents the case study on the restoration of the Infant Jesus of Prague from Macchia G... more This work presents the case study on the restoration of the Infant Jesus of Prague from Macchia Giarre (Catania, Italy), an interesting plaster cast dated to 1928, with votive-processional use whose relevance is mainly linked to its liturgical significance. On 6 of January 2013 the statue was damaged during the traditional procession in honour of the Infant Jesus, making necessary an urgent restoration. On that occasion, the statue was investigated both from an historical point of view and also with modern technological instruments in order to gather information on the structure and on the materials. In particular the Infant Jesus of Prague was examined by computerized axial tomography. The materials used for restoration were characterized by X-ray spectroscopy in order to evaluate their suitability for the intervention.
Painted between 1557 and 1566 by Giorgio Vasari and Giovanni Stradano, the polychrome wooden ceil... more Painted between 1557 and 1566 by Giorgio Vasari and Giovanni Stradano, the polychrome wooden ceiling of the Terrace of Saturn at Palazzo Vecchio in Florence (Italy) is one of the case studies of the Smart4CH2 project. During the diagnostic campaign, data from scientific analysis and monitoring of environmental conditions were collected to identify the materials and techniques used and to assess the state of conservation of the ceiling. A multi- analytical characterisation, both in situ and in the laboratory, was performed on the Terrace ceiling. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) was adopted as a preliminary on-site investigation, while on the samples collected, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy and Optical Microscopy (OM) were employed. Pigments, binders, painting techniques and restorations were identified. Materials under characterisation have revealed that their majority were applied during previous restoration works and they are affected by several decay processes. Results were combined with data collected by thermo-hygrometric data loggers located close to the ceiling and in the attic too. The analysis of the correlation between diagnostic results and environmental conditions will point out whether the decay processes are still ongoing.
Monitoring moisture content and detecting the presence of soluble salts in archaeological waterlo... more Monitoring moisture content and detecting the presence of soluble salts in archaeological waterlogged wood remains is a key issue for their conservation. Evanescent field dielectrometry (EFD), originally applied to frescoes and mural painting investigation is proposed as a novel tool for the real-time detection of soluble salts inside waterlogged wood samples. Preliminary measurements on archaeological samples from Denmark were performed to provide the basis for on-site monitoring of the rinse process required before consolidation treatment.
The identification and characterization of wood material represent an ongoing challenge for artef... more The identification and characterization of wood material represent an ongoing challenge for artefacts of interest in cultural heritage. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and micro-Raman (MRS) spectroscopies and more recently Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS), being non-destructive techniques, have been largely used for the analysis of painted wood. In this work, for the first time, the X-ray Computed Tomography (CT), using a CT medical scanner, was adopted to discriminate three types of wood, usually used in the construction of heritage objects. Wood interior features have been identified in CT images processed through the volumetric rendering technique (VRT), without the need to destructively “take out” a piece of the sample. The information at the macroscopic level collected by CT (density, volumes, morphology, etc.) was enriched by the evidence, at the microscopic level, obtained by the Raman and FTIR spectroscopic techniques. So, the samples have been classified in softwood and hardwood, with the advantage with respect to the conventional analytical methods to be able to distinguish specific structures within the cell walls only through the CT diagnostic technique. Ultimately, a new non-destructive approach is proposed to analyze wood-based heritage objects, but which can be also extended to other materials (i.e., pigments, glues, consolidants).
Volterra (Pisa) – Anfiteatro romano. Notizie preliminari, in NSc, 2021
L'articolo riguarda i risultati preliminari delle ricerche effettuate dal team CNR nell'ambito de... more L'articolo riguarda i risultati preliminari delle ricerche effettuate dal team CNR nell'ambito dello scavo archeologico dell'anfiteatro romano di Volterra, relativamente ai rilievi fotogrammetrici e alle analisi archeometriche sulle malte e sui reperti organici.
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance micro-imaging (μMRI) approach with multiparametric measurement and FTI... more Nuclear Magnetic Resonance micro-imaging (μMRI) approach with multiparametric measurement and FTIR spectroscopy was adopted to investigate silver fir. In particular, we investigated weakly interacting and bound water, detected by NMR and FTIR techniques, hypothesizing a water interaction with the main structures of the wood. For instance, by means of NMR analyses, we obtain information about the principal wood morphological/structural modifications, which are associated with humification processes, reflected in the changes of aromatic C-H and C-O vibration modes shown by FTIR. Thus, the combined use of NMR and FTIR allows characterizing the mobility of water with respect to lignin and cellulose features, which can serve as a benchmark for wood degradation conditions.
A modern approach to the diagnosis of artistic heritage makes use of non-destructive techniques w... more A modern approach to the diagnosis of artistic heritage makes use of non-destructive techniques which avoid damage to artworks or signs of interaction with the analytical technique used. For this reason, today, the employment of X-rays to study artistic heritage is quite widespread. Computed tomography (CT) Imaging was first used as specialized medical diagnostic tool in the early 1970s. Today, CT scanners have become more common, and non-destructive three-dimensional imaging has found an increasing number of uses in different areas such as materials research, geology, archaeology, and museum conservation. In this work, a new generation of clinical CT (based on the Dual Energy and multi-slice acquisition principle) is used to investigate an Egyptian wooden mummy board with a total acquisition time of 93.23 seconds and a voxel size of 0.078 × 0.078 × 1.5 mm. The use of two distinct techniques of image post-processing, the two-dimensional multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) and the three-dimensional volume rendering technique (VRT) allowed us to: evaluate the state of conservation of the mummy board, determine how the wooden object was implemented, recognize a nineteenth-century intervention of consolidation, and advance the hypothesis that the wooden planks were reused. In particular, we highlight the use of the cardiovascular and pulmonary filter with VRT reconstruction, which allows a virtual elimination of different parts of the mummy board to investigate those areas otherwise accessible only by removing parts of the board and thus damaging the work.
Aqueous solutions of amphiphilic molecules are characterized by the competition between hydrophil... more Aqueous solutions of amphiphilic molecules are characterized by the competition between hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions. These interactions have a different energetic dependence with the temperature. Whereas hydrophilic interactions have been well characterized, a complete theory for the hydrophobic ones is still lacking as well as the comprehension of the effect that the solvent exerts on the solute and vice versa. In this paper from the measured relaxation time, we evaluated the thermodynamic state functions of water-methanol solutions in the frame of the transition state theory. In particular we study the behavior of the Gibbs free energy, enthalpy and entropy of water, methanol and some of their solutions as a function of both temperature and water molar fraction. Our results indicate that the temperature of about 280 K represents a crossover between two regions dominated by hydrophobicity (high T) and hydrophilicity (low T).
The thermal properties of an extra Virgin Olive Oil (eVOO) depend on its composition and indeed c... more The thermal properties of an extra Virgin Olive Oil (eVOO) depend on its composition and indeed characterize its quality. Many studies have shown that the freezing and melting behaviors of eVOOs can serve for geographical or chemical discrimination. We use Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy to study the evolution of the fatty acids bands as a function of temperature during freezing and melting processes. In such a way we can follow separately the variations in the thermal properties of the different molecular groups during these thermodynamic phase transitions. The data indicate that the methyl group which is at the end of every fatty chain displays the major changes during both freezing and melting processes.
A systematic and complete chemical and physical characterisation of painted pigments on wood samp... more A systematic and complete chemical and physical characterisation of painted pigments on wood samples was carried out using multislice X-ray computed tomography (MSCT) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) techniques. Inorganic and organic pigments present on the wooden tablets were differentiated by MSCT determinations of Hounsfield units, a semi-quantitative method for measuring X-ray attenuation that, in turn, offers an indirect estimation of a material’s density. However, the MSCT technique is not as reliable as traditional spectroscopic techniques for recognising and classifying organic pigments. Nevertheless, a strength of the MSCT approach was its ability to simultaneously provide a volumetric view of the wood and segment the layers of the specimen using suitable reconstruction methods such as is generally done for biomedical applications. Furthermore, the SERS technique made it possible to identify the type of material present in the pigments (for both inorganic or organic materials) with a high spatial resolution, even pigments in mixtures or those applied directly on the investigated wooden support. The combined MSCT and SERS data obtained through this systematic investigation constitutes the basis for the assembly of larger reference databases that will ultimately support the development of long-term conservation protocols.
High‐resolution NMR images on three different present‐day wood samples and an archaeological wood... more High‐resolution NMR images on three different present‐day wood samples and an archaeological wood specimen were presented and discussed. Although the spatial resolution is still low to perform dendrology for the exact identification of the wooden species, the T2‐spin‐density weighted images exhibit contrasts that are in excellent agreement with optical histological images. On the other hand, T2* and T1‐weighted images provide physiological information that is not obtainable by the usual light microscopic investigations. Moreover, the diffusion‐weighted images show the anisotropic behavior of the water diffusion coefficient quantified along and perpendicularly to vascular bundles (vessels and tracheids), which can be related to the morphology and size of wooden microstructure. This work suggests that high‐resolution multiparametric MRI may be a useful tool to increase the information obtainable from the waterlogged archaeological wood remains in a completely non‐invasive and non‐destructive approach. Therefore, it would be desirable to further develop the hardware and functional characteristics of MRI scanners to improve their potential application in the field of wooden cultural heritage.
IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering, 2020
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance micro-imaging (μMRI) approach with multiparametric measurement and FTI... more Nuclear Magnetic Resonance micro-imaging (μMRI) approach with multiparametric measurement and FTIR spectroscopy was adopted to investigate Silver Fir. In particular, we investigated weakly interacting and bound water, detected by NMR and FTIR techniques, hypothesizing a water interaction with the main structures of the wood. For instance, by means of NMR analyses, we obtain information about the principal wood morphological/structural modifications, which are associated with humification processes, reflected in the changes of aromatic C-H and C-O vibration modes shown by FTIR. Thus, the combined use of NMR and FTIR allows to characterize the mobility of water with respect to lignin and cellulose features, which can serve as a benchmark for wood degradation conditions.
Clinical multislice X-Ray Computed Tomography investigation was performed on a 17th-century panel... more Clinical multislice X-Ray Computed Tomography investigation was performed on a 17th-century panel painting from the collection of the National Academy of San Luca Gallery in Rome. The use of MSCT allowed us to detect the numerous peculiarities related to the wood used, the execution technique and its conservation, leading to a complete preliminary interpretation of structural characteristics of wooden panel.
IMEKO 2019 TC-4 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage , 2019
The results of Multi-slice X-ray Computed Tomography (MSCT) and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering... more The results of Multi-slice X-ray Computed Tomography (MSCT) and Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) study performed on representative organic and inorganic ancient pigments painted on wooden support are presented and discussed. Clear Raman spectra were acquired for organic pigments such as a madder lake, overcoming their fluorescence and weak Raman scattering drawbacks. MSCT Hounsfield Units (HU) measurements show the ability to differentiate the materials, building a volumetric view and, with appropriate algorithms, to segment the layers of the specimen using suitable reconstructions. All these results in combination allowed a complete chemical-physical characterisation of painted pigments on wood samples.
This work presents the case study on the restoration of the Infant Jesus of Prague from Macchia G... more This work presents the case study on the restoration of the Infant Jesus of Prague from Macchia Giarre (Catania, Italy), an interesting plaster cast dated to 1928, with votive-processional use whose relevance is mainly linked to its liturgical significance. On 6 of January 2013 the statue was damaged during the traditional procession in honour of the Infant Jesus, making necessary an urgent restoration. On that occasion, the statue was investigated both from an historical point of view and also with modern technological instruments in order to gather information on the structure and on the materials. In particular the Infant Jesus of Prague was examined by computerized axial tomography. The materials used for restoration were characterized by X-ray spectroscopy in order to evaluate their suitability for the intervention.
L’obiettivo del nostro studio è l’analisi mediante MSCT delle lesioni osservate a livello macrosc... more L’obiettivo del nostro studio è l’analisi mediante MSCT delle lesioni osservate a livello macroscopico su un cranio antico rinvenuto alle pendici nord-est del Palatino all’interno dell’area delle Curiae Veteres durante la campagna di scavo del 2016. Lo studio è stato svolto in collaborazione con il Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Università di Roma, finalizzato all’indagine delle possibili motivazioni rituali di un singolare ritrovamento in un sito di eccezionale rilevanza. Il cranio è attribuibile ad un individuo adulto di sesso maschile dell’età alla morte stimata tra 24 e 30 anni. Sono state individuate all’esame macroscopico delle lesioni in corrispondenza delle apofisi mastoidee, dell’osso occipitale e delle cuspidi mesio-buccali dei secondi molari mascellari. All’esame radiologico, tutte le fratture documentate non presentano segni di riparazione, mentre a livello dello sfenoide i canali ottici sono normali per decorso, ma sono asimmetrici. Si ipotizza che tutte le fratture siano avvenute post mortem. Per quanto riguarda l’asimmetria riscontrata nei canali ottici, è possibile che il fenomeno sia evocativo di una lesione oculare sinistra avvenuta in giovane età, con conseguente atrofia del nervo, mancato accrescimento del canale e possibile ipovedenza.
ENGLISH
The objective of our study is the analysis by MSCT of lesions observed at the macroscopic level on an ancient skull found on the north-eastern slopes of the Palatine within the Curiae Veteres area during the excavation campaign of 2016. The study is It was carried out in collaboration with the Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, aimed at investigating the possible ritual motivations of a singular discovery in a site of exceptional importance. The skull is attributable to an adult male aged at death estimated at between 24 and 30 years. Macroscopic examination of lesions at the mastoid apophysis, occipital bone and mesio-buccal cusps of the second maxillary molars were identified. On radiological examination, all the fractures documented do not show signs of repair, while at the level of the sphenoid the optical channels are normal for the course, but are asymmetric. It is hypothesized that all fractures occurred post-mortem. As for the asymmetry found in the optical channels, it is possible that the phenomenon is evocative of a left eye lesion at a young age, resulting in atrophy of the nerve, failure to increase the canal and possible impaired vision.
Nel corso dello scavo di Casal Bertone, che ha restituito oltre 200 sepolture è stato rinvenuto u... more Nel corso dello scavo di Casal Bertone, che ha restituito oltre 200 sepolture è stato rinvenuto un individuo con evidenti alterazioni dei piedi. Le ossa tarsali risultavano fuse, i metatarsali avevano epifisi sfrangiate e cavità pseudocistiche e la tuberosità del calcagno destro era attraversata da un foro di dubbia eziologia. L’ individuo, d’età alla morte compresa tra 50 e 60 anni, di sesso femminile, è di corporatura gracile con una statura pari a 147 cm ca. Al fine di comprendere la patologia che aveva colpito l’individuo e la natura del foro del calcagno, gli elementi dei piedi sono stati sottoposti ad indagine tramite tomografia assiale computerizzata (TAC). Dalle immagini ottenute si osserva che la zona adiacente al foro presenta una radiopacità molto elevata dovuta alla calcificazione dell’osso; tale dettaglio suggerisce che il foro sia stato praticato in vita. L’ipotesi di un possibile intervento chirurgico potrebbe essere avvalorata dal rinvenimento di tracce d’argento all’interno del foro. Le fonti storiche riportano che alcuni strumenti chirurgici e contenitori utilizzati per miscelare i farmaci potevano esserne rivestiti; inoltre in età imperiale è attestato l’utilizzo dell’argento nelle ricette, come componente di farmaci e impiastri per il trattamento di alcune patologie.
ENGLISH
During the excavation of Casal Bertone, which returned over 200 burials, an individual was found with evident alterations of the feet. The tarsal bones were fused, the metatarsals had fringed epiphysis and pseudocyst cavities and the tuberosity of the right calcane was crossed by a hole of dubious etiology. The individual, aged between 50 and 60 years old, of a female gender, is of a gracile body with a height of about 147 cm. In order to understand the pathology that had affected the individual and the nature of the heel hole, the elements of the feet were subjected to investigation by computerized axial tomography (CAT). From the images obtained it is observed that the area adjacent to the hole has a very high radiopacity due to calcification of the bone; this detail suggests that the hole was practiced in life. The hypothesis of a possible surgical operation could be confirmed by the discovery of traces of silver inside the hole. Historical sources report that some surgical instruments and containers used to mix drugs could be coated; also in the imperial age the use of silver in the recipes is attested, as a component of drugs and poultices for the treatment of some pathologies.
Egyptian mummies is a very important source of fascination and curiosity. In the pre-radiologic e... more Egyptian mummies is a very important source of fascination and curiosity. In the pre-radiologic era the only approach for mummies investigation was a destructive one with loss of integrity of the specimens and consequently severe damage of cultural heritage that this find represent. Several non medical uses of Computed Tomography (CT) has been reported in literature, such as non-invasive investigation of artistic heritage. The CT scan has been used in the study of Egyptian finds since 1977, when Lewin PK and Harwood-Nash DC evaluated, for the first time, the ancient Egyptian brain of a weaver. The evolution of CT scanners allowed to easily study several mummies anatomical details not demonstrable with conventional plain X-ray. However, it should be noted, that not all of the collected mummies were authentic, indeed several fake specimens across the different heritage collection of the world has been reported. These fake objects were reported in literature since the eighteenth-century; one of them was described in 1809 by Jomard E., a member of the Institut d'Égypte founded by Napoleon, who commented the find of falsified mummies with these words: “removed the exterior bandages remained only a pile of bones, bitumen and dried leafy branches without any form”. These mummies were also called pseudo-mummies and are classified in: Pharaonic-Roman reliable source and modern age ones. The Egyptian section of Vatican Museum, Vatican State, Rome, Italy, houses several authentic mummies and coffins of the Ancient Egypt; among these, there are also two little mummy-shaped objects, called in their inventory “child-mummy n° 57852 and 57853”, whose authenticity was not clearly revealed. The aim of our study is to investigate the surface and the content of the two Vatican Museums “childmummies” and to assess the material used for their assembly, by using an approach based on computed tomography (CT).
Egyptian mummies is a very important source of fascination and curiosity. In the pre-radiologic e... more Egyptian mummies is a very important source of fascination and curiosity. In the pre-radiologic era the only approach for mummies investigation was a destructive one with loss of integrity of the specimens and consequently severe damage of cultural heritage that this find represent. Several non medical uses of Computed Tomography (CT) has been reported in literature, such as non-invasive investigation of artistic heritage. The CT scan has been used in the study of Egyptian finds since 1977, when Lewin PK and Harwood-Nash DC evaluated, for the first time, the ancient Egyptian brain of a weaver. The evolution of CT scanners allowed to easily study several mummies anatomical details not demonstrable with conventional plain X-ray. However, it should be noted, that not all of the collected mummies were authentic, indeed several fake specimens across the different heritage collection of the world has been reported. These fake objects were reported in literature since the eighteenth-century; one of them was described in 1809 by Jomard E., a member of the Institut d'Égypte founded by Napoleon, who commented the find of falsified mummies with these words: “removed the exterior bandages remained only a pile of bones, bitumen and dried leafy branches without any form”. These mummies were also called pseudo-mummies and are classified in: Pharaonic-Roman reliable source and modern age ones. The Egyptian section of Vatican Museum, Vatican State, Rome, Italy, houses several authentic mummies and coffins of the Ancient Egypt; among these, there are also two little mummy-shaped objects, called in their inventory “child-mummy n° 57852 and 57853”, whose authenticity was not clearly revealed. The aim of our study is to investigate the surface and the content of the two Vatican Museums “childmummies” and to assess the material used for their assembly, by using an approach based on computed tomography (CT) thin-slice scan and on other techniques.
M.Sc Thesis in Applied Science to Cultural Heritage Investigations - Sapienza, Università di Roma e Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi del CNR (CNR-ISC), 2016
A modern approach to the diagnosis of artistic heritage makes use of non-destructive techniques w... more A modern approach to the diagnosis of artistic heritage makes use of non-destructive techniques which avoid damage to artworks or signs of interaction with the analytical technique used. For this reason, today, the employment of X-rays to study artistic heritage is quite widespread. Computed tomography (CT) Imaging was first used as specialized medical diagnostic tool in the early 1970s. Today, CT scanners have become more common, and non-destructive three-dimensional imaging has found an increasing number of uses in different areas such as materials research, geology, archaeology, and museum conservation. In this work, a new generation of clinical CT (based on the Dual Energy and multi-slice acquisition principle) is used to investigate an Egyptian wooden mummy board. The use of two distinct techniques of image post-processing, the two-dimensional multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) and the three-dimensional volume rendering technique (VRT) allowed us to: evaluate the state of conservation of the mummy board, determine how the wooden object was implemented, recognize a nineteenth-century intervention of consolidation, and advance the hypothesis that the wooden planks were reused. In particular, I highlight the use of the cardiovascular and pulmonary filter with VRT reconstruction, which allows a virtual elimination of different parts of the mummy board to investigate those areas otherwise accessible only by removing parts of the board and thus damaging the work.
Activity Report Università degli Studi di Messina, 2019
Non-destructive and non-invasive approaches are fundamental for cultural heritage investigations.... more Non-destructive and non-invasive approaches are fundamental for cultural heritage investigations. X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) are the most important imaging techniques in the medical field. In this work, new protocols for clinical Siemens CT based on multi-slice acquisition principle and Philips MRI clinical scanner suitable for cultural heritage wooden objects and archaeological waterlogged wood remains were developed. By clinical CT investigation, it is possible to obtain information about densities through Houns eld Unit (HU) values measurements on Multi-Planar Reconstruction (MPR) images. By MRI, it is possible to obtain information about water content and conservation status by T1, T2 and T2* weighted images on waterlogged wood. Combining these two methods, a complete panorama on wooden conservation can be obtained.
Activity Report Università degli Studi di Messina, 2018
A modern approach to artistic diagnostic provides non-destructive techniques and, by now, are com... more A modern approach to artistic diagnostic provides non-destructive techniques and, by now, are commonly used X-rays to study artefacts. Recently, Computed Tomography (CT), X-ray detection technique, widely used in medicine, was proved really useful. In this work, a new generation of clinical Computed Tomography, based on the Dual Energy and multi-slice acquisition principle, is used to investigate an Egyptian mummy-board. The use of two distinct techniques of image post processing, such as the two-dimensional Multi-Planar Reconstruction (MPR) and the threedimensional Volume Rendering Technique (VRT), allowed us to evaluate the state of conservation, object implementation and to confirm Egyptologists hypothesis that the used wooden planks are of reuse.
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Papers by Sveva Longo
X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) was adopted as a preliminary on-site investigation, while on the samples collected, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy and Optical Microscopy (OM) were employed. Pigments, binders, painting techniques and restorations were identified. Materials under characterisation have revealed that their majority were applied during previous restoration works and they are affected by several decay processes. Results were combined with data collected by thermo-hygrometric data loggers located close to the ceiling and in the attic too. The analysis of the correlation between diagnostic results and environmental conditions will point out whether the decay processes are still ongoing.
Previous article in issue
X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) was adopted as a preliminary on-site investigation, while on the samples collected, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy and Optical Microscopy (OM) were employed. Pigments, binders, painting techniques and restorations were identified. Materials under characterisation have revealed that their majority were applied during previous restoration works and they are affected by several decay processes. Results were combined with data collected by thermo-hygrometric data loggers located close to the ceiling and in the attic too. The analysis of the correlation between diagnostic results and environmental conditions will point out whether the decay processes are still ongoing.
Previous article in issue
ENGLISH
The objective of our study is the analysis by MSCT of lesions observed at the macroscopic level on an ancient skull found on the north-eastern slopes of the Palatine within the Curiae Veteres area during the excavation campaign of 2016. The study is It was carried out in collaboration with the Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, aimed at investigating the possible ritual motivations of a singular discovery in a site of exceptional importance. The skull is attributable to an adult male aged at death estimated at between 24 and 30 years. Macroscopic examination of lesions at the mastoid apophysis, occipital bone and mesio-buccal cusps of the second maxillary molars were identified. On radiological examination, all the fractures documented do not show signs of repair, while at the level of the sphenoid the optical channels are normal for the course, but are asymmetric. It is hypothesized that all fractures occurred post-mortem. As for the asymmetry found in the optical channels, it is possible that the phenomenon is evocative of a left eye lesion at a young age, resulting in atrophy of the nerve, failure to increase the canal and possible impaired vision.
ENGLISH
During the excavation of Casal Bertone, which returned over 200 burials, an individual was found with evident alterations of the feet. The tarsal bones were fused, the metatarsals had fringed epiphysis and pseudocyst cavities and the tuberosity of the right calcane was crossed by a hole of dubious etiology. The individual, aged between 50 and 60 years old, of a female gender, is of a gracile body with a height of about 147 cm. In order to understand the pathology that had affected the individual and the nature of the heel hole, the elements of the feet were subjected to investigation by computerized axial tomography (CAT). From the images obtained it is observed that the area adjacent to the hole has a very high radiopacity due to calcification of the bone; this detail suggests that the hole was practiced in life. The hypothesis of a possible surgical operation could be confirmed by the discovery of traces of silver inside the hole. Historical sources report that some surgical instruments and containers used to mix drugs could be coated; also in the imperial age the use of silver in the recipes is attested, as a component of drugs and poultices for the treatment of some pathologies.