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Wooden artifacts
from past societies provide information on culture and
technology in the past. Their chemo-physical investigation and
the comprehension of occurred and on-going decay processes is
the first step towards assessing the best conservation
strategies.
Our research on archaeological and historical wooden objects, in
cooperation with Milano Bicocca Unit, is focused on the
application of different analytical techniques to the study of
wood components and the materials added in the conservation
treatments. In particular, we use:
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX) to obtain information
on morphology, wood species, degradation state, effects of
consolidation treatments and distribution of metals.
X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray microtomography (΅-CT) to
understand the structure of wood at cellular level, highlight
the presence of heteroatoms and to map wood sections with a
micrometric resolution;
infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and synchrotron radiation ΅FTIR
to investigate lignocellulosic polymers and inorganic salts;
nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to obtain information on
degradation state, porosity and distribution of water;
analytical pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography and mass
spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) to distinguish different kinds of wood,
analyze wooden components (lignin and cellulose), evaluate the
degradation state at semi-quantitative level.
The combination of analytical approaches aims to the
understanding of the chemical and physical processes occurring
during degradation, with the final aim to to develop and apply
suitable conservation treatments.
The research activity is carried out in connection with two
European projects: ArCo-Ageing Study of Treated Composite
Archaeological Waterlogged Artefacts (2013 2015, JPI-JHEP
Joint Pilot Transnational Call for Joint Research Projects on
Cultural Heritage) and Saving Oseberg (2014-2016, funded
by the Norwegian State and the University of Oslo). These
projects deal with the problem of archaeological wood
contaminated by unstable salts due to the burial environment
and/or applied treatments. We also cooperate with the University
of Life Science, Faculty of Wood Technology, Institute of
Chemical Wood Technology, Poznań (Poland), regarding the
archaeological site of Biskupin (Poland).
Published papers
D. Tamburini, J.J. Łucejko, F. Modugno, M.P. Colombini,
Characterisation of archaeological waterlogged wood from
Herculaneum by pyrolysis and mass spectrometry, International
Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 86 (2014) 142-149
Diego Tamburini, Jeannette Jacqueline Lucejko, Francesca
Modugno, Maria Perla Colombini, Pasquino Pallecchi, Gianna
Giachi, Microscopic techniques (LM, SEM) and a multi-analytical
approach (EDX, FTIR, GC/MS, Py-GC/MS) to characterise the
decoration technique of the wooden ceiling of the House of the
Telephus Relief in Herculaneum (Italy)", Microchemical Journal,
2014, 116, 7-14. |
