Berlin 2018 – scientific programme

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SYAM: Symposium Physics of Ancient Materials

SYAM 1: Physics of Ancient Materials

Friday, March 16, 2018, 09:30–12:15, H 0105

From paleontological to archaeological or art materials, ancient materials provide a fundamental window on our Past. They are essential to elucidate the origin and evolution of life forms on Earth. They are tangible testimonies of past Human activities. They are key to assess anthropic impacts on Earth climate and environment. Their chemistry has been the subject of numerous workshops and conferences but, apart in limited scientific areas (e.g. mechanics of architectural materials), only recently did the Physics of ancient materials start to be considered with greater attention. This symposium will focus on aspects where Physics can be enriched by properties observed and studied in ancient materials. Some of these materials have been thoroughly optimised in past societies, mostly in an empirical manner, to a point where they can therefore be considered as model systems for their optical behaviour (lustres, glazes, pigments, coatings, etc.), their durability (specific alloys, built heritage, etc.), their mechanical resistance... The complex and heterogeneous character at multiscale of their composition, structure and morphology, in relation with their environment through time, govern their long-term evolution and physical properties: percolation and transport, adsorption and reactivity, ageing and mechanical behaviour. New imaging approaches now provide the length scale dynamics from the nano- to the macro-scale to explore these physical properties. The specific constraints raised by ancient materials are also a source of methodological inspiration, from advanced instrumentation to the mitigation of radiation damage occurring during the study of precious samples and artefacts. This symposium will also trigger new interdisciplinary interactions that are of the highest relevance in the context of the setting up the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS), which has entered its preparatory phase in February 2017, and of the European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018.

	09:30	SYAM 1.1	Invited Talk: Bringing Dino-Birds to life – Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and Raman imaging of ancient materials — •Uwe Bergmann
	10:00	SYAM 1.2	Invited Talk: Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Cultural Heritage Materials — •Marta Castillejo
	10:30	SYAM 1.3	Invited Talk: Morphology and topology of multiscale pore networks: Imaging structural alteration and hydric invasion — •Pierre Levitz
	11:00		15 min. break
	11:15	SYAM 1.4	Invited Talk: Painting cracks: a way to reveal physical properties of matter — •Ludovic Pauchard
	11:45	SYAM 1.5	Invited Talk: Finite element analysis and biomechanical interpretation of fossil material properties — •Emily Rayfield