Objetivo The aim of this project is to study the deterioration processes that take place in caves with rock painting following their opening, excavation and adaptation for mass tourism, and the effects of microclimate, environment, geology, geochemistry and biology on the conservation of the paintings developing the following issues: - A comprehensive database of microclimatological and environmental pollution information relevant to the deterioration of rock art caves. - A predictive deterioration of rock art caves. - A set of recommendations for cave management and conservation of rock art.Four caves have already been selected: two in the north of Spain (Altamira and Candamo), and one in the south (Tito Bustillo), together with a fourth in southern Italy (Grotta dei Cervi). These four caves cover a sufficiently broad range of variation: in time from discovery (from 175 to 25 years); type of wrok carried out to make them accessible (from the substantial changes of building walls and chambers in Altamira, to the scarce changes in the Grotta dei Cervi - with the cases of Candamo and Tito Bustillo being intermediate); impact of tourism (from several thousand visits to none); introduction of factors altering environmental conditions (from electrification and lighting, opening of new entrances, blockings off, etc., to their conservation in a practically original state); different states of deterioration of the paintings, or their varied biological colonisation. This will provide general and particular conclusions to be reached following the work plan proposed, in which the karstic geomorphology of the caves, the geochemistry - including the seasonal variations in CO2, the analysis of water from rainfall and infiltration, geochemistry of the speleothemes, crystal growth processes, composition of the paintings and degree of calcification, the degree of conservation of the support, the microclimate of the cave and concentration of radon, the environmental pollution both outside and inside the caves, and lastly the microbial communities of the caves, will be studied integrally. This will enable the establishment of a physico-chemical model or the CO2-H2OC-CaCO3 system in function of the characteristics of the water (rainfall, dripping), of microenvironmental parameters, of the components of the rock support and other associated materials (clays). The variations and their possible effect on the conservation of the paintings will be established. The model will later be integrated with that obtained for biological deterioration, creating a geological-geochemical-biological model for each cave. Its use will yield generally applicable results for the study and conservation of caves with rock art. Ámbito científico natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeochemistrynatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrynoble gaseshumanitiesartsvisual artsnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollutionnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeologygeomorphology Programa(s) FP4-ENV 2C - Specific programme of research and technological development in the field of environment and climate, 1994-1998 Tema(s) 020204 - Technologies to protect and rehabilitate European cultural heritage Convocatoria de propuestas Data not available Régimen de financiación CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinador CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección 10,Avenida Reina Mercedes 10 41012 SEVILLA España Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos Participantes (3) Ordenar alfabéticamente Ordenar por aportación de la UE Ampliar todo Contraer todo CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS España Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección 2,José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 28006 MADRID Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos Comunità delle Università Mediterranee Italia Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección Piazza Umberto I 1 70121 Bari Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos N/A Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos
