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

The subject of this Research Master of Science (MSc) carried out in the Science Faculty at the University 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 the interpretation, documentation and conservation of cultural heritage objects. The aim of the Research MSc was to address gaps in current knowledge and practice in the heritage sector identified in the U.K. National Heritage Science Strategy reports in 2009-2010, as well as specific questions that came up in conservation projects at the University Museum of Bergen in Norway prior to carrying out the Research MSc. The results of two research components are presented in the thesis. The first consists of the characterisation of a collection of modern religious medals from the University Museum of Bergen using portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (pXRF) combined with environmental scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (ESEM-EDX) mapping and stereo microscopy. The research was carried out in collaboration with the Director of the University Museum of Bergen, Professor Henrik von Achen, who is also the Senior Curator for the Coins and Medals collections. The experimental work in this research component was designed to illustrate the way that the materials analysis of cultural heritage objects provides information that increases our understanding of the objects and contributes to their documentation, as well as informs the decision making process for their conservation and long term preservation. By combining complementary analytical techniques it was possible to identify different types of plated and non-plated metal alloys used to produce the modern religious medals, and in particular distinguish 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 online catalogue of the coins and medals collections at the University Museum of Bergen. The second research component consists of analysing the effects of cleaning treatments in metals conservation using ESEM images and EDX analysis combined with pXRF analysis. The experimental work was designed to provide a visual database or atlas of the effects of a range of chemical and abrasive cleaning treatments on the surface of silver, copper, lead and iron coupons. The ESEM-EDX analyses indicated that there were significant changes in the metal surfaces after chemical cleaning treatments compared with the milder abrasive cleaning treatments. The results demonstrated the importance of assessing the pH of chemical solutions and the hardness of abrasive materials used in comparison with the hardness of the metal being treated before carrying out irreversible treatments such as cleaning. This practical end user information contributes to the decision making process for implementing appropriate 6 treatments in the conservation and long term preservation of cultural heritage objects with metals components made of silver, copper, lead and iron and in particular historic objects.