A new and 'riveting' method: Micro-CT scanning for the documentation, conservation, and reconstruction of the Gjellestad ship

The cultural heritage sector has increasingly explored the use of micro-CT (mu CT) across numerous projects seeking to better understand past cultures and the materials they have left behind. As such, the role of micro-CT (mu CT) is still being developed and projects continue to show novel ways that the technology can be adapted to. The Gjellestad ship, located in Halden (ostfold in Viken), Norway, is dated to the Viking Age and was found in a poor state of preservation. Both organic and metallic materials were deteriorated to the degree that standard excavation methods would have resulted in further damage to, or even the destruction of, these elements. A new approach was needed, and this presented an opportunity to explore the use for mu CT as a documentative tool for field archaeology and conservation. As the remaining rivets were too fragile to handle directly, they were removed together with the surrounding matrix as soil blocks. To retain important stratigraphic and position information, a georeferencing system was developed that would be visible to mu CT and included within each soil block. This enabled the spatial (re)positioning of the soil blocks by use of 3D GIS and in alongside with other spatial documentation gathered at the time of excavation. The quantity of soil blocks will give us a large dataset to work with and, although we continue to document the soil blocks with mu CT, we now can discuss our preliminary results pertaining to the positive impact that mu CT has for the documentation, conservation, and reconstruction of cultural heritage.(c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS on behalf of Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR).

Automated summary

Micro-CT (μCT) has been increasingly used in the cultural heritage sector to understand past cultures and their materials. In the case of the Gjellestad ship from the Viking Age, μCT was used to document and conserve the deteriorated organic and metallic materials. A georeferencing system was developed to retain important stratigraphic and position information, allowing for spatial positioning using 3D GIS. The use of μCT has shown positive impact on the documentation, conservation, and reconstruction of cultural heritage.