Archaeologica.org

for me i prefer the old fashioned ways-- a backhoe and a jack hammer.

Starflower wrote:

oldarchystudent wrote:I'm not sure how much it takes, but if they get enough of the silver they can source it to find out where it came from. It could tell us a lot.

That is what I'm talking about! And not just for this silver but all the pottery, stone blocks etc. We could finally trace trade routes with better certainty.
I'm very excited about the possibilities here.

While brass making was widespread in medieval and earlier Europe, no evidence exists of brass production in America by indigenous people in the Caribbean -- known as Taino -- before the arrival of the Europeans. Using microstructural and chemical analysis, the researchers were able to prove the brass originated in Germany.

Nanotechnology has recently found practical applications in the conservation and restoration of the world’s cultural heritage. Nanoparticles of calcium and magnesium hydroxide and carbonate have been used to restore and protect wall paints, such as Maya paintings in Mexico or 15th century Italian masterpieces. Nanoparticle applications were also used to restore old paper documents, where acidic inks have caused the cellulose fibers to break up, and to treat acidic wood from a 400-year-old shipwreck

The so-called Ferroni–Dini method (two steps: the application of a saturated solution of ammonium carbonate, (NH4)2CO3, and the treatment with a barium hydroxide solution, Ba(OH)2), also called the 'barium' method, has long been the acknowledged method for the removal of salts that threaten paintings, reinforcing at the same time the porous structure. However, commercially available carbonates and hydroxide powders have dimensions of several micrometres, much larger than the pores on the paint surface. This means they don’t penetrate the painting well and there is also a risk of damaging the artwork by a white glaze forming on the surface.
Nanoparticle treatment is the logical evolution of the Ferroni-Dini method. Dispersions of kinetically stable Ca(OH)2 nanoparticles in non-aqueous solvents solved most of the drawbacks of the microsized powders. Stable dispersions of calcium hydroxide have been successfully applied (replacing polymers) as fixatives to re-adhere lifted paint layers during many restoration workshops in Italy and in Europe, and as a consolidant. Baglioni's group was among the first to synthesize nanoparticles in non-aqueous solvents with the optimal properties for application to cultural heritage conservation.