Laura Pagnin, Francesca Caterina Izzo, Sara Goidanich, Lucia Toniolo
Preliminary approach to protect Street Art from environmental agents and gaseous pollutants

In recent years, the interest in developing and assessing protective coatings for the safeguard of Street Art has increased. Considering the complex formulations of spray paints used for these artworks, the study of their degradation phenomena when exposed to atmospheric agents (relative humidity, temperature, UV-light, corrosive gases) is still not fully understood. Within the framework of the SuperStar project, we present a state-of-the-art research and a preliminary investigation to select specific protective coatings, to be tested in the laboratory and on real case studies, and assess their stability and compatibility with the substrate.

Nicoletta Lotrecchiano, Maria Ricciardi, Concetta Pironti, Andrea Bergomi, Valeria Comite, Vittoria Guglielmi, Paola Fermo, Daniele Sofia, Oriana Motta, Antonio Proto
Comparison process of air quality measurement systems applied to the context of cultural heritage

Air pollution is a problem that affects both human health and the state of historical artifacts. The interaction between pollutants and historical artifacts leads to a material degradation and therefore to the ruin of the artistic heritage. To define the impact of air quality on historic artifacts, it is necessary to measure these levels through an air quality measurement system. In this study the levels of particulate matter, PM10, PM2.5 and PM1, measured in the historic sanctuary of the Beata Vergine dei Miracoli in Saronno (Varese) were analysed using two measuring devices. Two air quality sensors, operating 24/24h and 7/7 days, were installed inside the sanctuary near the Last Supper wooden sculptural group realized during Renaissance period by Andrea da Corbetta and decorated by Alberto da Lodi. Similar concentration values and trends were observed with the two devices. Particulate matter levels were often above the recommended values for conservation and this may pose a threat to the artifacts present in the sanctuary. The two sensors return similar values in both trends and measured concentrations. From the analysis of the particulate matter levels it can be seen that they are high and sensitive to the activities, such as religious services, that take place in the sanctuary.

Jacopo Crezzini, Massimo Tarantini, Maria Chiara Bettini
Ivory identification in the archaeological contexts: a case study using the 3D digital microscopy

The study of ivory remains in Prehistory and Protohistory represents a challenge for the archeologists due to the scarcity of these remains and to the fundamental need of non-destructive investigation techniques to preserve the integrity of the archaeological finds. In this work we preliminarly analyse a small sample from a wide archaeological assemblage composed of more than 10.000 ivory fragments from an Etruscan tumulus (Carmignano, Central Italy). The presence of Schreger lines on the surfaces of many specimens testifies that the main raw material exploited was the proboscidean dentine. Through the use of a 3D digital microscope it was possible to investigate the main micromorphological and micromorphometrical features of the dentine. The use of this non-invasive technology could be a powerful tool to obtain important information on proboscidean taxa exploited for ivory in the past.

Enrico Conti, Simona Arrighi, Niccolò Bigliazzi, Francesco Boschin, Albachiara Brindisi, Kevin Brogi, Allegra Burgassi, Jacopo Crezzini, Clarissa Dominici, Lara Latragna, Tommaso Luzzetti, Giulia Marciani, Ivan Martini, Adriana Moroni, Sara Pitzianti, Stefano Ricci, Matteo Rossini, Alessandro Salvi, Sem Scaramucci, Vincenzo Spagnolo
Paleogeographic reconstruction of the Tuscan coastal area nearby Grotta dei Santi (Monte Argentario, Italy) during the Neandertal occupation

The mobility of hunter-gatherer groups is crucial in understanding Palaeolithic settlement dynamics. The concept of mobility cannot be separated from the space in which it occurs, including landscape components, localization of critical resources and of other sites, and routes between them. Nevertheless, the landscape is not constant in time due to the geomorphological changes that occurred in the long timescale of Prehistory. Here we present a paleogeographic reconstruction of the coastal area around Grotta dei Santi during the Neandertal occupation. A GIS-based approach, combining geological, bathymetric, and sea-level fluctuations data, allows us to reconstruct the landscape around the cave at about 45 ky BP. The cave today opens onto a cliff facing the sea. The Neandertal occupation occurred with a sea-level 74 m lower than present-day. Consequently, the cave faced a vast coastal plain, playing a strategic role due to its position, allowing both proximity and control of essential resources.

Ester Maria Annunziata, Paola Di Leo, Francesca Sogliani, Graziella Bernardo, Claudia Belviso, Luigi Ciani, Marco Coletti
Implementation of an integrated methodology to assess provenance of ancient ceramic raw materials

In the present study a methodology to assess provenance of raw materials used in medieval ceramic has been implemented. It is based on the assessment of the mineralogical composition trend at increasing temperature of clay deposits, as deduced from the firing tests and TG-DSC curves, outcropping in the surrounding of archaeological sites from which ceramic fragments come from. Data are contextualized in the landscape scenario within which the ceramic production centers operated by geo-localizing the sampled clay outcrops and identifying the geographical relationships with the archaeological sites. The methodology was implemented in order to become a best practice in the identification of raw materials used for ceramic productions. This methodological approach has allowed to return an articulated picture of the presence of productions in the region, that during the Middle Ages circulated on a regional as well as extra-regional scale thanks to a network of land and river communication, making it possible to circumscribe any local productions, to define the circulation of raw materials and know-how in the diachrony for a territory such as the Basilicata region, rich in archaeological evidence and densely populated from prehistory to the Middle Ages.