Artworks and Cultural Heritage Materials: Using Multivariate Analysis to Answer Conservation Questions

Abstract

The key concepts of data management systems that are applied to combinatorial and high-throughput chemical systems may also be applied to assist with answering questions involving conservation and cultural heritage materials. The chapter begins with an overview of conservation and explains what conservation is, why it is important, and how it is implemented for the preservation of cultural materials. The inherent value of most cultural materials imposes certain limitations on the types of analytical approaches that may be employed during analysis. An emphasis on noninvasive, nondestructive or microsampling is important to minimize the impact of analytical methodologies upon the artefact that..