Speaker
Description
Cultural heritage objects serve as invaluable links to our past, offering profound insights into human history, art, and civilizations. Preserving and understanding these artifacts requires non-invasive analytical methods capable of revealing their material composition and degradation mechanisms. Ion beam analysis (IBA) has emerged as a crucial field, bridging science and cultural heritage conservation, enabling a deeper understanding of these objects' hidden secrets.
Situated within the prestigious Le Louvre premises, the AGLAE facility – now known as New AGLAE following its automation in 2017 – stands as a cutting-edge platform entirely dedicated to non-destructive ion beam analysis dedicated to heritage science.[1]
Key techniques employed at the New AGLAE facility encompass Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), Particle Induced Gamma-ray Emission (PIGE), Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS), among others. These techniques empower researchers to precisely ascertain the chemical composition and element distribution within artifacts, providing deeper insights into their craftsmanship, historical context, and preservation status.
Illustrative case studies featuring objects from diverse geochronological contexts and with varied research inquiries will underscore the indispensable nature of these IBA analyses in addressing human science issues without compromising the integrity of the artifacts.
Furthermore, the lecture will spotlight ongoing instrumental and methodological advancements, particularly in scientific image processing, leveraging machine learning algorithms to automate data processing and reduce computation time.
Lastly, while the preservation of tangible cultural heritage objects remains paramount, the lecture will outline the challenge of translating data acquired by the New AGLAE facility into digital cultural heritage. Progress towards concrete solutions to achieve this objective will also be discussed.
Acknowledgement
The EquipEx New AGLAE was funded by the French ANR project ANR-10-EQPX-22.
[1] The New AGLAE virtual tour: https://www.v36.fr/visite-virtuelle/220619-C2RMF/
