1st Edition

The Conservation of Subterranean Cultural Heritage

Edited By C. Saiz-Jimenez Copyright 2015

    In recent years, a debate has arisen concerning the convenience of conserving subterranean cultural heritage and the necessary management models. There is often pressure from local authorities more interested in using the cultural heritage sites in order to develop the economy and the tourism industry rather than in the conservation of the cultural heritage itself. This has caused the managing bodies to reconsider reopening of sites closed due to serious conservation problems.

    This proceedings volume contains selected papers presented at the International Workshop "The Conservation of Subterranean Cultural Heritage", held 25-27 March 2014, in Seville, Spain. The workshop was organized by the Spanish Network of Science and Technology for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage (TechnoHeritage). The objective of the workshop was to promote an interdisciplinary forum for discussion of all aspects of the conservation of subterranean cultural heritage, providing at the same time an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of the most recent investigations.

    This book covers a wide range of scientific dimensions of the conservation and management of caves and necropolises. This state-of-the-art book will be of particular interest to archaeologists, historians, conservationists, cultural heritage specialists, architects, engineers and local and governmental policy-makers. Richly illustrated and including a 16-page full-colour plate section.

    The conservation of subterranean cultural heritage: is it a technical problem or a political problem?
    C. Saiz-Jimenez

    The rock-cut tomb-chapels of Hery and Djehuty on the West Bank of Luxor: history, environment and conservation
    J.M. Galan

    Excavations and conservation problems in the Roman Necropolis along Via Triumphalis in the Vatican
    G. Spinola

    Problems of colour preservation in the Etruscan necropolises of Tuscany (Italy): the painted tombs of Chiusi (Siena) and Sovana, Sorano (Grosseto)
    M.A. Turchetti, M. Salvini, G. Giachi, P. Pallecchi & P. Tiano

    A study for monitoring and conservation in the Roman Catacombs of St. Callistus and Domitilla, Rome (Italy)
    L. Bruno, S. Belleza, C. Urzì & F. De Leo

    The conservation of the Carmona Necropolis (Sevilla, Spain)
    A. Fernandez-Cortes, J. Elez, S. Cuezva, J.C. Cañaveras, D. Benavente, M.A. Rogerio, C. Saiz-Jimenez & S. Sanchez-Moral

    Methodological approach to monitor Roman catacombs: experience in the Catacombs of St. Mark, Marcellian and Damasus, Rome, Italy
    D. Tapete, F. Fratini, B. Mazzei, E. Cantisani, C. Riminesi, R. Manganelli Del Fà, B. Sacchi, O.A. Cuzman, L. Scaletti, M.G. Patrizi & P. Tiano

    Identification of lime-based mural painting techniques in catacombs using well-established criteria of stratigraphic investigation
    D. Tapete, R. Piovesan, E. Cantisani, F. Fratini, C. Mazzoli & L. Maritan

    New species description, biomineralization processes and biocleaning applications of Roman catacombs-living bacteria
    C. Urzi, F. De Leo, L. Bruno, D. Pangallo & L. Krakova

    The mural execution technique of the “dei Fornai” cubicle revealed by laser cleaning
    R. Senserrich-Espuñes, B. Mazzei, M.G. Patrizi, S. Bracci, M. Realini, B. Sacchi & G. Bartolozzi

    Indoors diversity in phototrophic biofilms at St. Paul’s Catacombs (Malta)
    A. Gomez-Bolea, I. Alvaro, E. Llop, S. Sammut & M. Hernandez-Marine

    Detection of urban subsurface pollution by rapid multiparametric surveys in 16th century Paranhos spring water tunnel (Porto, Portugal)
    A. Fernandez-Cortes, E. Sanz-Rubio, A. Sanchez-Malo, S. Cuezva, E. Garcia-Anton, S. Sanchez-Moral, M.J. Afonso, H.I. Chamine & B. Hermosin

    Is the presence of bacterial communities related to the urban contamination sources of the 16th century Paranhos spring water tunnel?
    A.M. Garcia-Sanchez, A.Z. Miller, V. Jurado, A. Dionisio, V.S.F. Muralha, M.J. Afonso & H.I. Chamine

    Microbe-mineral interactions in a Portuguese geo-archaeological site
    A.Z. Miller, A. Dionisio, M.E. Lopes, M.J. Afonso & H.I. Chamine

    “La vie en rose”: a review of the rosy discoloration of subsurface monuments
    G. Piñar, J. Ettenauer & K. Sterflinger

    NanoGraphene Oxide: a new material for a non-invasive and non-destructive strategy to remove biofilms from rock surfaces
    L. Bruno, L. Quici, I. Ficorella & F. Valentini

    Round table on conservation of necropolises, catacombs and tombs
    J.M. Galan, G. Spinola, M. Turchetti, L. Bruno & A. Fernandez-Cortes

    Microclimatic monitoring in Altamira Cave: Two decades of scientific projects for its conservation
    S. Sanchez-Moral, S. Cuezva, E. Garcia-Anton, A. Fernandez-Cortes, J. Elez, D. Benavente & J.C. Cañaveras, V. Jurado, M.A. Rogerio-Candelera & C. Saiz-Jimenez

    Altamira and its future
    J.A. Lasheras, C. de las Heras & A. Prada

    The conservation of Lascaux Cave, France
    J.-M. Geneste & M. Mauriac

    The conservation of Chauvet Cave, France. The conservation, research organization and the diffusion of knowledge of a cave inaccessible to the public
    J.-M. Geneste & M. Bardisa

    The conservation of prehistoric caves in Cantabria, Spain
    R. Ontañon, V. Bayarri, J. Herrera & R. Gutierrez

    The conservation of the Nerja Cave: preserving anthropogenic impact in a tourist cave
    Y. del Rosal, C. Liñan & M. Hernandez-Marine

    Cueva del Tesoro, Rincón de la Victoria, Málaga: a treasure of biodiversity
    V. Jurado, A. Novakova , M. Hernandez-Marine & C. Saiz-Jimenez

    Contribution of culture-independent methods to cave aerobiology: the case of Lascaux Cave
    P.M. Martin-Sanchez & C. Saiz-Jimenez

    Are fungi a real threat for the conservation of Altamira Cave?
    A. Novakova, V. Jurado & C. Saiz-Jimenez

    Pathogenic microorganisms related to human visits in Altamira Cave, Spain
    V. Jurado & L. Laiz, S. Sanchez-Moral & C. Saiz-Jimenez

    Microscopic fungi isolated from cave air and sediments in the Nerja Cave – preliminary results
    A. Novakova, V. Hubka & C. Saiz-Jimenez

    Human impact on show caves: chewing gum stuck to the walls
    I. Dominguez-Moñino, V. Jurado, M.A. Rogerio-Candelera & B. Hermosin

    Lampenflora as an accompaniment of mass cave tourism, problems and solutions for Postojnska jama, Slovenia
    J. Mulec

    Microorganisms and the natural heritage of Dinaric karst – a review
    L. Pasic & J. Mulaomerovic

    Needle-fiber calcite in Kapova Cave (the Southern Urals, Russia): influence on Upper Paleolithic wall paintings and genesis problems
    О.Y. Chervyatsova, Y.V. Dublyansky, S.S. Potapov, А.S. Pakhunov, L.V. Leonova, S.P. Glavatskikh, V.S. Zhitenev

    Raman Microscopy and IR Imaging of the Palaeolithic Paintings from Kapova Cave, Southern Ural, Russia
    A.S. Pakhunov, N.N. Brandt & A.Y. Chikishev

    Applications of Raman and Infrared spectroscopies to the research and conservation of subterranean cultural heritage
    C. Capel Ferron, S.E. Jorge Villar, F.J. Medianero Soto, J.T. Lopez Navarrete & V. Hernandez

    Round table on conservation of caves
    J.C. Cañaveras, S. Sanchez-Moral, J.A. Lasheras, J.-M. Geneste, R. Ontañon, Y. del Rosal & M. Hernandez-Marine

    Colour plate section

    Biography

    C. Saiz-Jimenez