Credit: Institute of Nautical Archeology
A few weeks ago, Ceramic Tech Weekly carried a story about new techniques for dating ceramic artifacts.
Along these same lines, there is a fascinating-sounding meeting, “Chemistry and Materials Research at the Interface between Science and Art,” scheduled for July 6 – July 7 at the Hilton Hotel in Arlington, Va.
Sponsored by the NSF and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the workshop is bringing together over 40 scientists from various constituencies to discuss areas where new research in basic science can provide information on cultural heritage. In particular, the goal of the workshop is to improve the field’s ability to understand the way art and artifacts were created and how best to preserve them.
Workshop participants will consider three areas of grand challenges:
- Development of analytical techniques.
- Investigation of processes of deterioration.
- Development of new conservation methods and materials.
Participants, together with NSF program officers, conservation experts and representative of cultural heritage institutions, will hear keynote presentations at the opening session on July 6 at the Freer Gallery of Art. Presentations will explore the theme of scientific discovery and cultural heritage.
On July 7, participants will divide into small groups and spend an hour on each of the grand challenges to:
- Specify related research topics.
- Define and refine possible approaches and their advantages.
- Identify expectations for what will be learned from the suggested approaches.
Check it out.