Objective
* To contribute at a quantitative evaluation of the local climate and pollution of the last millennium, beside results obtained on ice, lake or marine sediments archives far from sources,
* To relate this evaluation to the past weathering of monuments,
* To distinguish the past weathering from present day cumulative effect.
The objectives of this project will be attempted by means of the establishement of a chronology and semi-quantitative evaluation of the urban and back-ground pollution in England, France and Italy as well as a chronology of the main environmental factors that have an important role in the present archaeological context and, on the other hand an objective analysis of samples of pollutants emitted in past centuries and an objective evaluation of the past deterioration of monuments.
The methodology and main sources of information will be:
* Laboratory analysis of in the field collected samples of ancient crusts, deposits and patinas, (raw samples and microsamples, thin sections, resin embedding and counterproofs. A large range of technics will be employed as, for instance, Reflexion and Transmission Polarizing Microscopy, Analytical Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscropy, X-Ray Fluorescence, etc.)
* Archive documents on the past pollution and climate written by contemporary people.
* The in the field sampling will concern ancient deposits on well dated parts of monuments enclosed latter by new constructions and disclosed recently; artifacts (statues, architectonic pieces, commemorative plaquets,..) exposed outdoors and then kept protected indoors in the museum or lapidarium; archaeological remains burried during a long period of time and then excavated and removed towards laboratories and collections.
* The reconstruction of the past polluted environment and climate history from written sources will concern:
The past climatology and natural pollution in Italy during the last millennium: natural hazards (volcanic eruptions, severe winters, etc), and meteorological and environmental observations (fogs, acid rains, etc). The history of air pollution and damage to the cultural heritage of european cities: how past air pollution and building damage have changed in european cities with different fuel burning histories? The long term historical changes of air pollution in Manchester, Belfast and Dublin, with different fuel used history and damage caused to historical items will be established. The comparison between the history of air pollution and studies of long-term climate will be done to ascertain their relative importance to changes to damage to cultural heritage.
Fields of science
- humanitieshistory and archaeologyhistory
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringair pollution engineering
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatology
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesphysical geographynatural disasters
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
94010 CRETEIL
France