Developing Approaches for DEVELOPING APPROACHES FOR CONSERVING PAINTED PLASTERS IN THE ROYAL TOMBS OF THE VALLEY OF THE QUEENS (original) (raw)
Related papers
Developing approaches for conserving painted plasters in the royal tombs of the Valley of the Queens
2012
The Theban Necropolis on the West Bank of Luxor, Egypt preserves one of the world’s richest repositories of ancient painted tombs, including those in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. Over three millennia, many tombs have been subjected to flooding, causing severe rock collapse and loss of surface decoration. How best to conserve and repair vulnerable wall painting in the tombs is an urgent issue. Understanding the nature and composition of original materials is necessary in the selection of appropriate treatments for stabilizing fragile painted plasters. As a result, investigation of Egyptian plasters became a focus of study as part of the ongoing Queens Valley collaborative project between Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI). Based on a review of the literature, it was clear that the binder and aggregate composition of Egyptian plasters is not well understood. Despite a generally accepted belief that plasters ...
4 th Historic Mortars Conference, HMC2016, 2016
A comprehensive study of Egyptian New Kingdom period (c. 1570-1070 BCE) decorated plasters was undertaken as part of a collaborative project between the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and Egypt’s Ministry of State for Antiquities (MSA) for the conservation of the tombs in the Valley of Queens. The study focused on identifying the material composition of historic plasters and understanding their current mechanical properties in order to develop compatible repair materials for stabilizing surviving areas of tomb paintings. The plasters that cover the walls and ceilings of tombs in the Valley of the Queens were found to be primarily earth-based, made from a readily available calcitic soil deposit at the foot of the Theban Mountains, known locally as hiba . This material, composed of calcite with clays (smectite, sepiolite and palygorskite), dolomite and/or ankerite, anhydrite, and quartz, could be used on its own mixed with water or with the addition of other materials such as clay, sand, plant fibers or gypsum to modify its properties. This paper describes the challenges in investigating these plasters: in particular, looking at analytical methods considered including microchemical tests, ESEM mapping, particle size analysis, and thin-sections. The goal of the paper is to highlight the problems that were encountered during testing and the difficulties found in the interpretation of data. Also discussed is the selection of specific analytical methods and the modification of existing techniques to better suit the particularities of the earthen materials that make up these plasters.
Studies in ancient gypsum based plasters towards their repair: Physical and mechanical properties
Construction and Building Materials, 2019
h i g h l i g h t s 44 samples of gypsum plasters from a time period of 2 centuries were studied. The main binders used were calcium sulphate hemi-hydrate and lime putty. 3 compositional patterns, characterised by 3 different ranges of the 2 main binders, were identified. The type of application, composition and microstructure are related. Higher quality raw materials and techniques were used in most valuable buildings.
During this study, the principal aim carried out was to obtain more information about technique and conservation conditions of the Egyptian wall paintings during the Roman period in the funerary house in necropolis of Tuna el-Gabal, El-Minia-Upper Egypt. It's going back to 2 nd century AD and involves different sites of Ptolemaic and Roman chapels; some are in the immaculate established style while others are a blend of Pharaonic-Greek style and both are secured with mural painting. Deterioration problems observed on the wall paintings of the funerary house are, loss of plaster layers, disintegration of plaster layers, loss of paint layers (blistering and peeling), discoloration and severely damaged owing to a lot of deterioration factors as weakness of mud brick support, deterioration of surface treatments and to the widespread presence of different salts. The materials used in the painting, preparation layers and the state of conservation of the mural painting at funerary house were investigated by integrated physio-chemical measurements, particularly micro-Raman spectroscopy (µRaman), light optical microscopy (LOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray analysis system (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). In addition, the morphology of multilayer plaster from wall painting was investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). A wide color palette utilized as a part of the necropolis has been identified with mineral pigments and pigment mixtures. It is found that, the paints were based on an organic binder and traditional pigments (azurite, hematite, ochre, vegetable black) were used as colorants on plaster. The examination demonstrated that the preparatory layer is verging on made of pure lime while the plaster layer based mainly of lime and gypsum with variable amounts of quartz. The obtained results provided information about the painting technique, chemical
The study of the composition of mortars used in the protection of walls and ceilings in the past is extremely important to define sustainable strategies of intervention, concerning the preservation of these construction elements. These strategies should follow the modern theories of conservation and restoration , where authenticity and chemical, physical and aesthetic compatibility can only be achieved if based on the knowledge of the original materials and techniques of application. In Portugal, the presence of gypsum plasters was particularly significant between the second half of the XVIII century and the first half of the XX, representing two centuries of important heritage never studied before. This paper describes and discusses a methodology to establish compatibility criteria for the development of gypsum plaster restoration products and presents some requirements they should comply with based on the results of characterization of the old samples collected, from several case studies.
Historical plasterwork techniques inspire new formulations
Construction and Building Materials, 2013
Lime putty, gypsum, rabbit skin glue, sand, limestone fines and marble dust were used. 100% Substitution of sand by limestone fines of an ''Escaiola'' is studied for the first time. Marble cut waste in mortar increases the strength and durability.
Methodology for the rehabilitation of ancient gypsum plasterwork
Journal of Building …, 2007
Hélder Cotrim is an Architect MSc in Construction from IST. His research is related with inspection, diagnosis and rehabilitation of ancient gypsum plasters. Maria do Rosário Veiga, Civil Engineer IST, received her Doctoral degree in civil engineering from Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP), and is a senior researcher in LNEC. She is the Portuguese expert in the European Normalization Committee for rendering and plastering mortars and in the EOTA Working Group for preparation of an Approval Guide for External Thermal insulation Composite Systems. She is also a member of the RILEM Committee for Repair Mortars for Historic Masonry (RHM). She collaborates in several Master Courses in Civil Engineering and Architecture Universities of Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto. Her research work is related with the performance of wall covering systems, durability and rehabilitation of wall coverings and conservation of historic mortars. Jorge de Brito graduated in Civil Engineering and received his Masters and Doctoral degrees at IST -Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal, where he is an associate professor. He is a member of IABSE, FIB, CIB and IABMAS, as well as of several reputed national engineering societies. He is a member of the following working groups: CIB W80 / RILEM 100-TSL -Service Life Prediction of Building Materials and Compo-Methodology for the rehabilitation of ancient gypsum plasterwork nents; CIB W86 -Building Pathology; CIB TG39 -Deconstruction; several national committees under CEN. His research work deals with deterioration, rehabilitation and management of concrete structures. He has coauthored the "Handbook of Concrete Bridge Management", published by ASCE Press in 2004.
Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectrometer, petrography and X-ray diffraction analyses were employed to characterize the historic wall plasters from 17th century Shahdara's tomb, in Lahore (Pakistan). Three types of plaster layers corresponded to different functions and locations. The study focused on the nature, composition, texture and microstructural features of binder (lime) and aggregate (Kankar-carbonate fragments, brick pieces and slag) fractions to understand their technical and historical production. Results indicated that pozzolanic brick and slag fragments developed strong adhesion bonds with the binder, which enhanced the durability of the investigated plasters. These results would help in making materials with similar technical and compositional characteristics to set up a scientific plan for conservation and restoration purposes.
Stavební obzor - Civil Engineering Journal
The term of a historic plaster or surface coating, respectively, denotes a layer or a multilayer of materials firmly bonded to the substrate, whose structural and technical condition significantly affects not only the aesthetic effect, but mainly the service life of this surfacing. Due to the permanent exposure of plaster surfaces to the external environment (in the exterior as well as the interior), they belong to the group of the most exposed parts of historic and heritage buildings, often exhibiting a high degree of degradation and disintegration. The consolidation and rehabilitation of plasters with, among other things, a degraded binder component, damaged structure and insufficient adhesion of individual layers to each other and to the masonry substrate is a challenging task in the restoration of historic buildings. The paper presents the alternative of strengthening degraded surface layers by means of nanomaterials based on calcium hydroxide applied by the surface penetration ...