Modern chemical analysis in archaeometry

All communities, in diverse ways, attempt to preserve their cultural heritage, as it is the main element of their identity within modern civilization. The different directions and ways in which these processes are realized depend on the particular stage of development of science and technology, welfare of society, and encountered dangers of this identity. Very important objects of cultural heritage are material objects and objects of art produced by all communities. The physical and mechanical properties of material culture are always of prime concern to archaeometry and science-based archaeology. The preservation of material culture for future generations with the best possible fidelity requires in-depth knowledge, to aid the most suitable restoration, conservation, storage, and eventual museum display. A wise utilization of modern methods of chemical analysis is a significant element of research studies into such objects providing information on the most suitable methods of their restoration and conservation. There is wide enthusiasm among conservators and curators for the application of analytical tools to enhance the management of collections. Modern chemical analysis offers numerous methods and measuring techniques which can be employed for archaeometric purposes. Advances in their use have already been the subject of several books [1–4], review papers [5–7], and even recent special issues of analytical international journals, e.g., X-Ray Spectrometry in 2000, Journal of Separation Science in 2004, or Microchimica Acta in 2007. From the point of view of application to an investigation of archeological and art objects, it is often important to use both nondestructive (which can be in some cases fully noninvasive) methods as well as destructive methods of modern microanalysis for analysis of small samples. As information about given objects or artistic techniques based only on historical sources may often lead to serious misinterpretations, there are numerous different purposes for the application of chemical analysis in archaeometric studies. They may be extremely valuable in the investigation of the provenance of an object and the origin of the materials used for its manufacture, and in addition in determining its degradation state and monitoring the transformations that happen during the ageing process. They are also useful when choosing the most suitable methods of restoration and conservation, the type of materials for conservation, and also in monitoring the progress of conservation processes. Various analytical methods can also be employed for dating of material objects and identification of fake art objects. Earlier works in this field concentrated mainly on analysis of inorganic materials [1]; however, in the last two decades substantial progress in high-performance separation techniques has allowed detailed determinations of various groups of organic compounds essential for materials studies (dyes, resins, oils, waxes, carbohydrates, and proteins) [8]. Nondestructive methods find a particular place among analytical methods used for archaeometric purposes because of the unique value of most of the objects analyzed. Their principal advantage is the lack of necessity for sampling from objects, and in the case of modern portable instrumentation there is also the possibility of performing measurements on-site. Most commonly these methods are employed for elemental analysis, but in recent decades they have also Anal Bioanal Chem (2008) 391:915–918 DOI 10.1007/s00216-008-2077-x