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

Abstract

The cultural heritage sector has increasingly explored the use of micro-CT (µCT) across numerous projects seeking to better understand past cultures and the materials they have left behind. As such, the role of micro-CT (µCT) is still being developed and projects continue to show novel ways that the technology can be adapted to. The Gjellestad ship, located in Halden (Østfold 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 µCT 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 µCT 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 µCT, we now can discuss our preliminary results pertaining to the positive impact that µCT has for the documentation, conservation, and reconstruction of cultural heritage.