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. Mortars are important building materials that are produced using different raw materials for the binder and for the aggregate; the latter is usually composed of several different mineral phases, or ceramic ( cocciopesto ) or rocks fragments. Traditional local recipes often include a vast range of organic and inorganic additives, but unfortunately no precise descriptions of the recipes have been reported in historical sources. Knowledge of their composition could be extremely significant in terms of information on past technology and improvements in today’s conservation work. In recent years, non-invasive portable instruments have been increasingly used in conservation science, particularly for the analysis of paintings, but little research focuses on historical building materials. In this study, the performance of non-invasive external reflection infrared spectroscopy (ER-FTIR) is tested on model samples, which are prepared according to past recipes collected from historical manuals, and using conservation best practices. The results are discussed and compared with traditional analytical techniques, such as bench top transmission and attenuated total reflectance (ATR) infrared spectroscopy, combined with powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The influence of surface roughness on reflection infrared spectroscopy signals is also considered and investigated.

. Dust deposition in museums and historic monuments is a preservation concern, especially for textiles whose cleaning is delicate. To study the impact of deposited particulate matter (DPM) and gaseous pollutants on textiles, three sites with contrasted environments were selected and characterized (DPM composition, gaseous pollutants concentrations). Then, these conditions were reproduced in an environmental chamber to alter samples of silk first by the deposition of realistic layers of dust (based on the data acquired on-site), then by artificial ageing with harmful gaseous pollutants ( CO 2 , SO 2 , O 3 . This study presents the results of this new protocol to investigate the degradation of textile artefacts and more specifically the evolution of deposited particles as they interact with the atmosphere and the substrate. Even at relatively low concentration levels of the selected pollutants, some fine particles undergo chemical transformations, forming much larger efflorescences and penetrating inbetween fibres. This could make the vacuum-cleaning of such particles harmful to the integrity of the textile, their removal leading to fibre weakening. However, no sign of structural deterioration of the fibres at a molecular level was detected.

. This study is part of a wide-scale research on metal production in South-Western al-Andalus during the Islamic period, under the project “DE RE METALLICA - DEfining and REdiscovering MEtallurgy and Trade in AL-Andalus (8th-13th centuries AD): Leaping into Innovative Comprehensive Archaeometric Approaches”. In particular, this paper presents the results of the elemental analysis carried out on a group of six Islamic oil lamps found at different sites in Southern Portugal, spanning from the 10th to the 13th centuries AD. Due to the exceptional historical value of these artefacts, the analyses were carried out according to a completely non-destructive approach that combines Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRF) with a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation code named X-ray Monte Carlo (XRMC). This novel and ground-breaking approach has proven to be especially suitable for non-destructive analysis of artefacts with a multi-layered structure, such as archaeological metals, being able to estimate the composition of the original alloys and to characterise the structure and composition of each layer superimposed to the bulk with no need of removing samples or cleaning the artefacts’ surface from corrosion compounds. The application of the EDXRF/MC analytical protocol revealed that the six oil lamps selected for this paper are covered by a structure composed of three different layers (protective layer + corrosion patina + alloy). The bulk metal is a copper-based alloy with a great variability in terms of Fe, Zn, Sn, As, and Pb, likely suggesting either the use of scrap metals as raw material or the indiscriminate addition of different kind of minerals. With regard to the objectives of this paper, EDXRF/MC protocol successfully allowed to estimate the chemical composition of the six oil lamps in a completely non-destructive way, thus representing a viable compromise between the necessity to ensure their physical integrity and the need to obtain reliable analytical data able to address historical issues.

. Portable Raman spectrometers offer a good option for fast in situ analyses and discrimination of gemstones in the cultural heritage and gemmology applications. Their relative affordability and ease of use makes them ideal tools able to complement traditional instruments in a gemmology lab. A test scenario of blind study based on identification of cut gemstones solely using their Raman spectra and online RRUFF database is proposed. A portable Raman spectrometer equipped with a sequentially shifted excitation (PSSERS) that allows recording of Raman spectra with supressed fluorescence background was used for acquisition of Raman spectra of a series of 20 previously unidentified cut minerals in gemstone quality. Obtained spectra were loaded into the freeware CrystalSleuth program that permits to search in the online database of Raman spectra of minerals RRUFF. In this way 19 out of 20 (with the exception of apatite) cut minerals or gemstones were correctly identified based on multiple similar matches of their Raman spectra in the database. These findings and the straightforward process described in this study suggest that a highly practical application such as basic gemstone discrimination using only portable Raman spectrometer and a free online spectral library is feasible even for a user not experienced in Raman spectroscopy and traditional spectroscopic references in the literature.

. The paper presents an experimental study on mortar samples taken from historic and monumental buildings damaged or collapsed following the seismic events in Central Italy (2016-2017). Sixty-one samples were analysed via a set of diagnostic investigations to characterize the mortar and correlate it with the performance of the masonry. The techniques used were: X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis, differential scanning calorimetry, calcimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, soluble salt analysis by conductimetry and dosage of anionic species by ion chromatography, particle-size analysis, direct shear. Microstructural characterization of the mortars revealed differences in mortar composition depending on their provenance. In particular the samples from Norcia contained large quantities of calcite while in the mortars from Pretare, dolomite was identified. In the case of Amatrice, only a few samples showed crystalline phases and compounds ascribable to binders. These results were largely confirmed by the other chemical and physical analysis performed, and mechanical tests also demonstrated low cohesion. The tests showed that in almost all the samples, poor quality mortars were used, and, in some cases, underachieving binder mortar.

. Nanocrystalline nitrogen-doped TiO 2 photocatalysts were applied as surface coatings to three typical Israeli limestones, Maccabim , Halila and Hebron , widely used for historic buildings. Two different N-doped TiO 2 sols were synthesised by sol-gel method starting from titanium oxysulfate ( TiOSO 4 as Ti precursor: a new N-doped TiO 2 coating (N-TiF), obtained in neutral conditions, was developed and compared to a N-doped TiO 2 (N-TiA), obtained in acidic medium. XRD and Raman spectroscopy confirm the nanocrystalline nature of N-doped TiO 2 , mainly in anatase phase, with size ∼ 4 nm as revealed by TEM analysis. Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy indicates a red-shift in the absorption spectra for both nanopowders, even if the X-ray Photoelectron spectroscopy results are not conclusive on the state and location of the N doping ions. The self-cleaning efficiency of the two TiO 2 coatings was assessed on the three Israeli carbonate stones and compared to commercial TiO 2 (Evonik P25) by the photoinduced degradation of two organic dyes (Methyl orange and Rhodamine B) and by following hydrophilicity changes, through static contact angle measurements. The harmlessness of these coatings was confirmed by colorimetric and water capillary absorption measurements.

. Moroccan manuscripts heritage preserves valuable information regarding different fields of Arabian history and culture. Despite this fact, analytical studies carried out in Moroccan manuscripts are scarce. In this work, we made use of a multi-analytical methodology to study, for the first time, four illuminated manuscripts from the Royal library of Rabat covering the span 14th to 19th centuries. The chemical structure of inks and paper support was identified. Elemental distribution obtained by micro-energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (μ-EDXRF) showed the use of iron, copper and vermillion in black, blue and red inks, respectively. Arsenic and lead were identified as orange inks in the 17th and 19th century manuscripts, respectively. Quantitative characterization of the paper supports obtained by triaxial geometry EDXRF spectrometry showed high levels of sulphur, chlorine and potassium. Regarding the study of the manuscripts support, cellulose I β was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) in all the analyzed samples. Cellulose fibers observations by scanning electron microscopy showed that the manuscripts are in general, in a good condition. Calcite is the main filler determined by XRD.

. We present a decision-support system that guides heritage guardians in selecting mitigation actions to improve the indoor air quality and thus the preservation conditions of indoor collections in heritage buildings. This contribution shows that it is feasible to build a decision support system dedicated to preventive conservation when the following barriers are overcome: 1) simultaneous measurement of a wide range of environmental parameters in order to detect a larger number of undesired situations; 2) development of an algorithm to perform reproducible indoor air quality assessments; and 3) transformation of the air quality assessment into a graph that can be read intuitively without causing a wide variation of interpretations among stakeholders. An important aspect of the decision support system is that it reduces several sources of uncertainty that hamper reliable indoor air quality assessments. The possibilities of such a system are illustrated with a measurement campaign in a church where a heating system has been installed and used for the first time.

. The Archaeological Collection of Ghent University Museum hosts one of the most remarkable cork models representing the Pantheon of Rome, made by the master Antonio Chichi (1743-1816). Ghent University started a restoration campaign dedicated to the cork masterpiece, which has great artistic value. Next to macroscopic analysis, an extensive physicochemical campaign was organised in order to study and document the composition and the preservation state of the polychromic layers of Chichi’s masterpiece. Portable and micro-Raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of materials such as carbon-based pigments, lead white, vermilion, chalk, gypsum, bassanite, Prussian blue and haematite on the exterior and interior of the cork model. A tin-containing layer was characterized on the exterior of the model. XRF instruments were employed to better understand the overall elemental composition of the model’s polychromic layers, positively identifying Pb, Sn, Zn, Ca, Hg, Fe at the exterior surface. Stratigraphic analysis was performed, with both analytical techniques, when possible. The detailed information provided by archaeology, art history and applied sciences on the cork model of the Pantheon, will help the conservators to better understand and restore the Pantheon model which will be exhibited in the new museum of Ghent University.