Search Results (622)

The carved lacquer horse-hoof-shaped box excavated from Yulin, Shaanxi Province, represents a typical example of lacquerware preservation in the arid environment of northern China, exhibiting multiple deterioration phenomena, including substrate deformation, lacquer film peeling, and pigment fading. To systematically analyze its structural composition and craftsmanship features, this study employed multiple analytical techniques, including ultra-depth microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), confocal laser micro-Raman spectroscopy (Raman), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Based on these analyses, a targeted conservation protocol was developed. Results revealed that the carved lacquer horse-hoof-shaped box has a wooden substrate structure, with the lacquer ash layer composed of mixed materials, including calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), quartz (SiO₂), and hydroxyapatite (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂). The lacquer film layer contains Chinese lacquer and plant oils, with cinnabar applied as surface decoration. Based on these findings, a stratified reinforcement conservation strategy was proposed: under dynamic monitoring with optical fiber sensors and three-dimensional scanning, the wooden substrate was reinforced with moisture-curable polyurethane (MCPU), the lacquer ash layer was strengthened with acrylic emulsion (Primal AC33), aged areas were restored with nano calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂) aqueous dispersion, and polyethylene glycol (PEG 400) poultice application was implemented to restore the flexibility of the lacquer film. This research significantly enhanced the integrity and stability of the carved lacquer horse-hoof-shaped box, providing practical evidence and technical references for the scientific conservation of lacquerware excavated from arid regions of northern China. Full article

Objective: Given the global trend of ecological protection and sustainable development, Global Geoparks have become an essential platform for resource conservation and regional growth. Changzhi City in Shanxi Province, China, is actively applying for Global Geopark status, relying on its rich geoheritage sites, cultural history, and natural landscapes. This paper presents a systematic evaluation of the city’s geodiversity and relic value, analyzes the feasibility of establishing a Global Geopark in Changzhi City, and provides scientific support for Changzhi City’s Global Geopark application. Methods: Geodiversity data were collected by region using a 1:25,000 grid for sampling. Four methods were adopted for evaluation, namely, the Shannon diversity index, Simpson diversity index, entropy weight method (EWM), and Pielou evenness index. Upon comprehensive comparison of the four approaches, the most suitable approach was selected to produce the final results. For the value evaluation of the geoheritage, a combination of the analytic hierarchy process and the entropy weight method was employed. Results: (1) According to the results of all four methods, the geodiversity of Changzhi City is higher in the eastern and western regions and lower in the central area. (2) The geoheritage sites are mainly distributed in the eastern part of the city and have relatively high relic value. (3) Changzhi City contains abundant natural reserves and cultural resources, meeting the fundamental requirements for Global Geopark construction. Specifically, 38 townships across eight counties were identified as potential geopark areas, encompassing 54 geoheritage sites, 76 provincial-level or higher cultural-relic protection sites, and 15 provincial-level or higher natural protected areas, with a total area of 4458.51 km². Conclusions: Our results suggest that the Shannon diversity index is an effective tool for evaluating geodiversity in Changzhi City. Based on the region’s geological and natural conditions, the delineated geopark area is feasible. In summary, our findings provide essential references for the protection and sustainable development of geoheritage sites, geodiversity, and geoparks and offer strong theoretical and data support for Changzhi City’s Global Geopark application. Full article

Digital technology has facilitated substantial progress in the development and implementation of virtual museums. Despite these advancements, current virtual museums continue to face challenges in spatial layout and information presentation, including limited exhibit hierarchy, inefficient spatial organization, low information display efficiency, and sub-optimal visual experiences. To address these challenges, spatial intelligence algorithms are utilized to reconstruct three-dimensional models of selected cultural relics for scene creation and to optimize the spatial layout of virtual museum exhibits. The layout optimization approach considers both symmetrical and asymmetrical arrangements, as well as visual hierarchy and information density. This approach aims to establish a more complex exhibit hierarchy, rational spatial organization, and enhanced visual information display. Comparative experiments and analyses of the visual impact from symmetrical layout optimization, along with other spatial layout optimizations, are conducted. User evaluations and eye-tracking experiments indicate that spatial intelligence-optimized algorithms improve both spatial layout and information display in virtual museums, leading to a more positive user visual experience. Full article

Black crust and spalling are common deterioration phenomena affecting marble relics, yet their correlation remains inadequately understood. Hyperspectral imaging, reflectance spectroscopy, portable X-ray Fluorescence (p-XRF), infrared thermography, Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and microbiological analysis was employed to connect these two types of deterioration on the Danbi stone carving of the Confucian Temple in Beijing. Spectral and thermal analyses reveal that black crust significantly reduces reflectance and increase solar absorption by 27%, resulting in thermal stress. p-XRF and SEM-EDS analyses indicated that black crust is enriched in Fe, Ti, Zn, Pb, As and clay minerals, while spalling areas display increase Ca, reflecting substrate exposure. Microscopy reveals microcracks at the layer–substrate interface. Microbiological analyses identify Cladosporium anthropophilum and Alternaria alternata as contributors to surface-darkening. These multi-scale datasets collectively demonstrate that alterations in surface chemistry and bio-mediated darkening promoting the formation of black crusts, which subsequently induce marble spalling due to solar absorption and thermal stress. These findings clarify the coupled physical–chemical–biological pathways through which black crust accelerates stone spalling. Full article

Due to the unpredictability of seismic and the complexity of collection environments, significant uncertainty exists regarding their impact on cultural relics. Moreover, existing research on the causal analysis of seismic damage to cultural relics remains insufficient, thereby limiting advancements in risk assessment and protective measures. To address this issue, this paper proposes a seismic damage risk assessment method for cultural relics in collections, integrating deep learning and reinforcement strategies. The proposed method enhances the dataset on seismic impacts on cultural relics by developing an integrated deep learning-based data correction model. Furthermore, it incorporates a graph attention mechanism to precisely quantify the influence of various attribute factors on cultural relic damage. Additionally, by combining reinforcement learning with the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) strategy, this method refines seismic risk assessments and formulates more targeted preventive protection measures for cultural relics in collections. This study evaluates the proposed method using three public datasets in comparison with the self-constructed Seismic Damage Dataset of Cultural Relics (CR-SDD). Experiments are conducted to assess and analyze the predictive performance of various models. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves an accuracy of 81.21% in assessing seismic damage to cultural relics in collections. This research provides a scientific foundation and practical guidance for the protection of cultural relics, offering strong support for preventive conservation efforts in seismic risk mitigation. Full article

Changes in preservation conditions act as an important environmental filter driving shifts in microbial communities. However, the precise identities, functional traits, and ecological mechanisms of the dominant agents driving stage-specific deterioration remain insufficiently characterized. This study investigated microbial communities and dominant fungal degraders in waterlogged versus dried bamboo slips using amplicon sequencing, multivariate statistics, and microbial isolation. Results revealed compositionally distinct communities, with dried slips sharing only a small proportion of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with waterlogged slips, while indicating the persistence of a subset of taxa across preservation states. A key discovery was the dominance of Fonsecaea minima (92% relative abundance) at the water-solid-air interface of partially submerged slips. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) indicate that this fungus forms melanin-rich, biofilm-like surface structures, suggesting enhanced surface colonization and stress resistance. In contrast, the fungal community isolated from dried slips was characterized by Apiospora saccharicola associated with detectable xylanase activity. Meanwhile, the xerophilic species Xerogeomyces pulvereus dominated (99% relative abundance) the storage box environment. Together, these results demonstrate that preservation niches select for fungi with distinct functional traits, highlighting the importance of stage-specific preservation strategies that consider functional traits rather than taxonomic identity alone. Full article

Stone cultural relics are primarily composed of sandstone, a water-sensitive rock that is highly susceptible to deterioration from environmental solutions and dry-wet cycles. Sandstone pagodas are often directly exposed to natural elements, posing significant risks to their preservation. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the performance of sandstone towers in complex solution environments and understand the degradation mechanisms influenced by multiple environmental factors. This paper focuses on the twin towers of the Huachi Stone Statue in Qingyang City, Gansu Province, China, analyzing the changes in chemical composition, surface/microstructure, physical properties, and mechanical characteristics of sandstone under the combined effects of various solutions and dry-wet cycles. The results indicate that distilled water has the least effect on the mineral composition of sandstone, while a 5% Na₂SO₄ solution can induce the formation of gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O). An acidic solution, such as sulfuric acid, significantly dissolves calcite and diopside, leading to an increase in gypsum diffraction peaks. Additionally, an alkaline solution (sodium hydroxide) slightly hydrolyzes quartz and albite, promoting calcite precipitation. The composite solution demonstrates a synergistic ion effect when mixed with various single solutions. Microstructural examinations reveal that sandstone experiences only minor pulverization in distilled water. In contrast, the acidic solution causes micro-cracks and particle shedding, while the alkaline solution results in layered spalling of the sandstone surface. A salt solution leads to salt frost formation and pore crystallization, with the composite solution of sodium hydroxide and 5% Na₂SO₄ demonstrating the most severe deterioration. The sandstone is covered with salt frost and spalling, exhibiting honeycomb pores and interlaced crystal structures. From a physical and mechanical perspective, as dry-wet cycles increase, the water absorption and porosity of the sandstone initially decrease slightly before increasing, while the longitudinal wave velocity and uniaxial compressive strength continually decline. In summary, the composite solution of NaOH and 5% Na₂SO₄ results in the most significant deterioration of sandstone, whereas distilled water has the least impact. The combined effects of acidic/alkaline and salt solutions generally exacerbate sandstone damage more than individual solutions. This study offers insights into the regional deterioration characteristics of the Huachi Stone Statue Twin Towers and lays the groundwork for disease control and preventive preservation of sandstone cultural relics in similar climatic and geological contexts. Full article

The overall knowledge structure, developmental context, and research frontiers in the field of bronze cultural relic corrosion and protection are lacking. This study employs bibliometric methods to comprehensively analyze 2614 relevant publications from 1906 to 2025 in the Web of Science Core Collection, utilizing the software Citespace 6.2.R3 to construct a knowledge map. The research results based on the number of publications and keyword statistics indicate that the research in this field has undergone a temporal evolution of research trends. Since 2010, the annual number of publications has grown rapidly, peaking in 2024, which reflects the continuously increasing academic attention given to the subject. Globally, China, Italy, and the United States are the leading contributors, forming a closely knit international cooperation network. Among these, China leads in total publications, though there remains room for improvement in its centrality within the collaborative network. Major research institutions are primarily large scientific organizations, such as the National Research Council of Italy and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Keyword analysis demonstrates that research hotspots have long centered on “corrosion mechanisms and control” and “innovative protection materials and technologies”. Temporal evolution analysis further indicates that the research paradigm is shifting: from the early investigations of mechanisms, through a middle phase focused on material development, to the current emphasis on the development of preventative and intelligent protection systems via multidisciplinary integration. This study systematically reviews the field’s evolutionary trajectory, collaboration networks, and thematic dynamics, providing a comprehensive reference for research planning and future development. Full article

The deepening of the “Belt and Road” Initiative urgently requires breaking through the dilemmas of symbolization, unidirectionality, and contextual de-embedding in the export of traditional cultural heritage. This paper takes the 2023 China-Germany “Tracing the Belt and Road” cultural heritage exchange project as the research object, employing a single-case exploratory research method to construct a theoretical model of “narrative carrier innovation—cultural heritage dimension adaptation” aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of cultural heritage dissemination. The study finds that international communication projects for cultural heritage can systematically deconstruct the cultural core (“Dao”) and innovatively adapt modernized, localized dissemination forms familiar to the audiences in the host regions (“Qi”), thereby achieving a paradigm shift from passive introduction to active resonance. The paper specifically elucidates how four types of innovative carriers-digital narrative, public participatory, competitive co-creative, and academic artistic-adapt to the dimensions of historical cognition, aesthetic experience, creative interaction, and value identification in Han Dynasty cultural heritage. This adaptation ultimately forms effective cross-cultural dissemination pathways. This research provides an operable theoretical framework and practical paradigm for “Belt and Road” humanistic exchanges, offering insights for the international dissemination of cultural heritage. Full article

Knowledge graphs (KGs) offer a structured and collaborative approach to integrating diverse knowledge from various domains. However, constructing knowledge graphs typically requires significant manual effort and heavily relies on pretrained models, limiting their adaptability to specific sub-domains. This paper proposes an innovative, efficient, and locally deployable knowledge graph construction framework that leverages low-rank adaptation (LoRA) to fine-tune large language models (LLMs) in order to reduce noise. By integrating iterative optimization, consistency-guided filtering, and prompt-based extraction, the proposed method achieves a balance between precision and coverage, enabling the robust extraction of standardized subject–predicate–object triples from raw long texts. This makes it highly effective for knowledge graph construction and downstream reasoning tasks. We applied the parameter-efficient open-source model Qwen3-14B, and experimental results on the SciERC dataset show that, under strict matching (i.e., ensuring the exact matching of all components), our method achieved an F1 score of 0.358, outperforming the baseline model’s F1 score of 0.349. Under fuzzy matching (allowing some parts of the triples to be unmatched), the F1 score reached 0.447, outperforming the baseline model’s F1 score of 0.392, demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach. Ablation studies validate the robustness and generalization potential of our method, highlighting the contribution of each component to the overall performance. Full article

Road transport systems are central to sustainable mobility and the energy transition because they account for a large share of final energy use and remain heavily dependent on fossil fuels. With more than 90% of transport energy still supplied by petroleum-based fuels, improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions in road networks has become a strategic priority. This review compares Australia, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom to examine how road-design standards and emerging digital technologies can improve energy performance across planning, design, operations, and maintenance. Using Australia’s Austroads Guide to Road Design, Hong Kong’s Transport Planning and Design Manual (TPDM), and the UK’s Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) as core reference frameworks, we apply a rubric-based document analysis that codes provisions by mechanism type (direct, indirect, or emergent), life-cycle stage, and energy relevance. The findings show that energy-relevant outcomes are embedded through different pathways: TPDM most strongly supports urban operational efficiency via coordinated/adaptive signal control and public-transport prioritization; DMRB emphasizes strategic-network flow stability and whole-life carbon governance through managed motorway operations and life-cycle assessment requirements; and Austroads provides context-sensitive, performance-based guidance that supports smoother operations and active travel, with implementation varying by jurisdiction. Building on these results, the paper proposes an AI-enabled benchmarking overlay that links manual provisions to comparable energy and carbon indicators to support cross-jurisdictional learning, investment prioritization, and future manual revisions toward safer, more efficient, and low-carbon road transport systems. Full article

This study focuses on the identification, historical-geographical description, and subsequent evaluation of the attractiveness of relicts of historical water reservoirs (splash dams) in the forest environment of the Low Tatras National Park (Slovakia), situated in the central part of the Western Carpathians, with regard to their potential for ecotourism development. Recreational and leisure activities in this area are primarily based on soft tourism forms. In the national park, we identified fourteen relicts of splash dams, and for the assessment of their attractiveness in terms of ecotourism, we selected the five largest. All splash dams were assessed using a methodology developed by the authors as an outcome of their research, in order to fulfil one of the partial objectives of the study. The methodology comprises 19 evaluation criteria grouped into three categories: natural environment, technical characteristics, and recreational potential. Based on the application of this author-developed methodology, it was determined that the Malužiná splash dam represents the most attractive site for ecotourism, as it remains water-filled and is readily accessible via two cycling routes. In terms of the evaluation according to technical criteria, the most attractive relic is the Korytnica splash dam, which ranks as the second most attractive among the assessed splash dams in the national park. Full article

The critical need to preserve cultural relics has sustained longstanding interest in their corrosion and conservation, research vital to extending artifact lifespan and maintaining historical authenticity. Although scholarly output in this field grows annually, the expanding volume of literature makes it difficult to systematically identify research hotspots and forecast trends. This lack of clarity can lead to redundant efforts and hinder the practical application of preservation technologies. Existing reviews often focus on specialized subtopics, leaving a comprehensive overview lacking. To address this gap, this study conducts a systematic bibliometric analysis of 4983 relevant publications from the WOS Core Collection (1961–2025). Through a multi-dimensional examination of annual publication trends, keyword co-occurrence, contributions from countries and authors, and institutional collaborations, we elucidate the field’s development and intellectual structure. Our findings reveal key research hotspots, including corrosion mechanisms, novel protective materials, micro-environmental control, and multidisciplinary detection methods, whose evolution shows distinct temporal patterns. Furthermore, an analysis of collaborative networks indicates that progress is increasingly driven by institutional and international cooperation, steering the field toward greater systematization and refinement. Full article

The present study seeks to trace the relationships among six versions of the Passio Ioannis—the account of Saint John of Trebizond, whose relics were transferred to Suceava—and to highlight the differences that emerge across the roughly four centuries separating them. Each version reflects the Orthodox Church’s attempt to communicate a particular message and to project signals intended to resonate as deeply as possible within the consciousness of the Christian communities of that era. By examining these hagiographic sources from a diachronic perspective, the study brings into focus a message imbued with pronounced political, theological, and moral dimensions. In addition to the broader challenges confronting Eastern Christianity at various historical moments, the texts also disclose the authors’ personal experiences and preoccupations, subtly interweaving allusions to contemporary realities with the narrative of the suffering and martyrdom of Saint John, the merchant of Trebizond. Through this comparative and contextually grounded analysis, it becomes possible to discern the diverse functions the same text has fulfilled over the centuries, thereby underscoring the distinct meanings attached to each edition of the hagiographic narrative—whether Slavonic, Romanian, or Greek. Full article

Stone relics exposed to outdoor environments frequently experience surface deterioration, with red stains being a common and persistent issue. The stains often observed on marble and limestone surfaces arise from complex interactions involving chemical reaction, pollutant deposition, and microbiological process. Although microbial colonization has been associated with biodeterioration, the specific mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study focuses on the red stains found on the Danbi marble carvings at Beijing Confucian Temple and the Imperial College. Combining microbial cultivation, molecular identification (ITS sequencing), SEM-EDS (Scanning Electron Microscopy), Raman spectroscopy, and HPLC-MS (high-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry), we identified the pigment-producing fungus Lizonia empirigonia as the dominant agent, with no evidence of inorganic contributors such as iron/lead oxides. Metabolite profiling revealed flavonoids and polyketides as key coloring material, while controlled infection experiments demonstrated the fungus’s reliance on exogenous organic matter rather than direct stone degradation. Our findings highlight microbial activity as a primary driver of red stains in marble relics and underscore the importance of organic contaminant control in conservation. Full article