Course description

Many mysteries of history and cultural heritage can be unraveled through the use of physical methods. They make it possible to study works of art in a non-invasive way, and also to determine the age of archaeological artifacts on the basis of micro-samples. Interestingly, similar methods are used as forensic techniques, or in environmental studies. The aim of the lecture is to invite students to this mysterious world studied with unusual research tools.

Physical methods, including these based on the use of particle accelerators, play a very important role in the study of material objects of cultural heritage. It is not without reason that large laboratories dedicated to such research have been established in Paris and Florence, and there are also many other centers in Europe, and also in Poland. Physical methods allow, among others for non-invasive tests of the chemical composition of materials (XRF, PIXE, PIGE and others), thanks to which they can be used to check the authenticity of paintings or other antique objects, including ceramics or ornaments. The second group of issues is the so-called isotopic dating. The 14C carbon dating allows to determine the age of archaeological objects of organic origin, such as bones, fabrics or paper. The most famous example from this group is the determination of the age of the Shroud of Turin, but the study of manuscripts and historically important documents also attracts great media interest. The lecture will also present other, less known methods, such as the study of the internal structure of the pyramids with the use of cosmic ray muons. The same method of muon radiography is used in geology to study the structure of volcanoes. All the methods will be discussed with examples of their specific applications in the study of artworks, archeology, and also in very different fields, like geology, environmental studies and forensics.