Novel implementation of the INFN-CHNet X-ray fluorescence scanner for the study of ancient photographs, archaeological pottery, and rock art

INFN-CHNet is the cultural heritage network of the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) and is constituted by units from Italy and from outside Europe, one of them at Universidad Nacional de San Martin (UNSAM) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As a result of the initiative carried out during 2015 by the Accademia dei Lincei for the year of the Italian culture in Latin America, an INFN-CHNet laboratory was set at CEPyA-UNSAM with the collaboration of INFN and the Restoration Workshop Centro Tarea. Noteworthy, this laboratory is conceived as a multidisciplinary research facility with complementary skills, both scientific and humanistic. In this context, the first instrument jointly set up, optimised, and applied to Cultural Heritage was an X-ray fluorescence scanner. In this manuscript, we describe the instrument and its main features together with a set of representative yet novel applications in the field of cultural heritage, namely, the experimental study of hidden rock art through laboratory replicas that imitates the problems found in the archaeological sites (hematite drawings hidden below carbon deposition); the study and chemical characterisation of archaeological decorated pottery; and finally, the application of the XRF scanner to ancient photography, for quick and accurate identification of materials and techniques employed. Beyond these specific results, the primary output of this initiative has been the conception of a future network of scientific laboratories in South America, coordinated by CEPyA at UNSAM.

Automated summary

INFN-CHNet is a cultural heritage network established by the Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics, with units from Italy and outside Europe, including the Universidad Nacional de San Martin in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The network's laboratory at CEPyA-UNSAM is a multidisciplinary facility focusing on scientific and humanistic research. This manuscript presents the X-ray fluorescence scanner as the first instrument developed in this laboratory, its main features, and its applications in the field of cultural heritage including the study of hidden rock art, archaeological pottery, and ancient photography. The primary outcome of this initiative is the conception of a future network of scientific laboratories in South America.