Geoscientific studies are essential for the imaging of buried archaeological sites and for identifying internal structure and condition of historic buildings. They provide important information on the properties, weathering, and degradation of building materials (natural stone, bricks, mortars, ceramics, concrete), as well as on moisture and fluid transport. Geoscientific methods can also be used to evaluate the dynamic properties and structural response of historic structures and to reconstruct their deterioration and damage history, including the identification and interpretation of earthquake-related damage. Such approaches contribute to understanding the long-term evolution of archaeological and built heritage and support the planning and evaluation of conservation and restoration measures.
This session welcomes contributions showcasing the application of geosciences to the following topics: (i) properties, provenance, production, use, and durability of historical materials; (ii) weathering processes, micro-fracturing, structural decay, and reconstruction of deterioration and damage processes ; (iii) fluid transport, propagation of evaporation fronts, and salt crystallization mechanics in porous media; (iv) high-resolution, non-destructive testing and monitoring including the assessment of dynamic properties and structural response; (v) imaging and identification of buried archaeological sites; (vi) impact of environmental variables, microclimatic fluctuations, and climate change on porous geomaterials outdoors, indoors, underground, or underwater; (vii) identification and reconstruction of earthquake-induced damage and its integration with archaeoseismological investigations; (viii) integration of theoretical geomorphological concepts into practical strategies, adaptation measures, and materials for conservation and restoration; (ix) hardware/software design for collecting and processing compositional, structural, dynamic, and environmental databases.