Decoding Ancient Flames: Chemical Fingerprinting and Innovative Cleaning of Archaeological Soot Deposits

Descrizione del progetto

Decodificare antiche fiamme

Gli antichi depositi di fuliggine sui reperti archeologici vengono solitamente considerati residui indesiderati da rimuovere durante i lavori di restauro; ciononostante, preservano preziose testimonianze in merito alle attività umane del passato. Il progetto Decode Ancient Flame, finanziato dal programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, creerà il primo database completo costituito da impronte digitali di fuliggine antica analizzando la fuliggine proveniente da oltre 20 manufatti egizi mediante l’applicazione di tecniche molecolari e spettroscopiche avanzate. Mettendo in connessione le caratteristiche chimiche della fuliggine con le evidenze archeologiche, il progetto svilupperà un nuovo quadro di riferimento per ricostruire l’uso dei combustibili, le attività domestiche e le pratiche culturali nell’antichità. Decode Ancient Flame svilupperà e convaliderà inoltre protocolli di pulizia innovativi senza contatto, basati su tecnologie al plasma di ossigeno atomico e laser, integrati con sistemi di monitoraggio in tempo reale, garantendo un’efficace rimozione della fuliggine e preservando al contempo l’integrità dei materiali fragili che integrano il patrimonio storico.

Obiettivo

Ancient soot accumulation on cultural artifacts poses critical conservation challenges while offering unprecedented insights into historical human activities. This interdisciplinary project combines cutting-edge conservation technology with novel archaeometry analysis to revolutionize both artifact preservation and archaeological understanding.
We will develop a complementary non-contact cleaning technique integrating atomic oxygen plasma and laser cleaning to remove more than 90% of ancient soot while preserving artifact integrity. This green technology eliminates chemical solvents, addressing current limitations of traditional mechanical and wet cleaning methods that cause irreversible damage to sensitive ancient materials.
Analysis of more than 20 diverse cultural artifacts using advanced analytical and spectroscopic techniques (GC-MS, FT-IR) will create the first comprehensive database of ancient soot chemical signatures across geographical locations and historical periods in ancient Egypt.
Soot composition analysis will reconstruct daily life practices of ancient communities, including cooking methods, heating systems, fuel sources, and industrial activities. This novel approach bridges conservation science with historical research, generating new knowledge about technological advancement, diet, trade, and rituals of past societies.
Selected artifacts from Egyptian civilization will undergo systematic investigation using optical/electron microscopy, chemical analysis, and radiocarbon dating. Real-time integration of cleaning techniques with chemical analysis will increase efficiency by 50% compared to current separate processes.
The project will establish safety protocols exceeding current conservation standards. This proposal addresses urgent conservation needs while opening new frontiers in archaeometry, demonstrating how advanced analytical chemistry can unlock historical secrets preserved in ancient contamination layers.