Geological Materials and Culture Heritage: Past, Present and Future

Geological materials are among the earliest materials used by humans, they are still an important component of cultural works that are presently being made and they will surely play a critical role for heritage in the future.

Diverse kinds of geological substances, including minerals, stone and earth, have been used to produce a diversity of cultural objects, as well as raw materials for preparing other final materials such as mortars, concrete, bricks, glass and metals. Heritage from the past can be a source of knowledge for the choices of the present and of the future, since the observations of past behaviour can give lessons for present and future applications.

But the persistence of cultural information recorded in geological materials requires the conservation of these materials, which involves diagnostic studies and intervention measures that can include the replacement of the affected elements. These interventions could involve issues such as criteria for selection of materials and the possibility of application of treatments before their emplacement to improve resistance to pollutants. This will help to preserve in the present the legacy of the past for the future.

The characteristics of geological materials can provide information about the objects made from them such as their dates of making and preferences in the choice of materials (in relation to sources and properties), especially in the cases were non-local materials were used. In this way, the reading of these materials can contribute to the promotion of cultural works in touristic or teaching perspectives.

The use of geological materials in the cultural heritage needs to consider also their impact on humans (both in terms of pollution as, e.g., resulting from the presence of radioactive elements and the thermal comfort of users) and in the environment in general, with a clear attention to the sustainability of building options, including options that could have a positive impact in the environment, e.g. by carbon sequestration. These concerns will be valid for intervention procedures of structures from the past as well as for projects for new cultural objects (and, again, important lessons could be learned from the past).

The aim of this Special Issue is to publish original research with a focus on these diverse issues related to the use of geological materials in the cultural heritage, as well as review articles that discuss their current state and propose new perspectives.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

+ Using geological materials for dating human works;

+ Studies for assessment of potential sources;

+ Promotion of geological materials as cultural objects (including artistic, touristic and teaching perspectives);

+ Methods for diagnostics of geomaterials decay and techniques for their preservation;

+ Uses of geological raw-materials for making other cultural materials (such as cement, concrete, bricks, glass and metals);

+ Impact of materials on humans (thermal comfort, radioactivity and other pollutants);

+ Sustainable options for the conservation and use of geological materials;

+ Present and futuristic views on the use of geological materials for cultural works.

Dr. Carlos Alves
Dr. Carlos Figueiredo
Dr. Jorge Sanjurjo-Sánchez
Guest Editor

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