Abstract
The article presents briefly the nature and the properties of extended defects in relation to the light they shed on the history of ancient objects and their conservation. Chemical reactions, phase transitions and plastic deformation of materials, which take place during the fabrication of objects, leave their imprints under the form of specific crystalline imperfections such as grain boundaries, twins and dislocations. Observations of the microstructure of objects from the cultural heritage can reveal many details about ancient civilisations and technologies. Besides optical microscopy, these observations rely on various dedicated techniques based on X-rays and electron microscopy to identify extended defects, viz. grain boundaries, twins, and dislocations. Defects due to powder processing of lead compounds have been studied recently. Such compounds have been used for centuries in the fabrication of cosmetics.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
