Evolving collaboration between academics and conservators: illustration using NDTs to map and monitor decay of ceramic tesserae and earthen floors

The variety of non-destructive techniques (NDT) available to conservators has increased dramatically over the last few decades. Image analysis, laser scanning, near-infrared imaging (NIR) and micro-hardness measurements as well as ground penetrating radar (GPR) have all been used to identify and analyse decay forms and their changes on historic monuments. Few, if any, projects have tried to integrate the information from such NDTs into a single analytical framework. Integration of this information enables the identification of common patterns in signatures of decay from different techniques. In addition, integration of techniques can provide data on potential of redundancy in information between techniques and so potentially provide the basis for more efficient and more targeted use of techniques for particular types of conservation problems. Using examples from work carried out by the team at the University of Portsmouth, this presentation, identifies both the potential and difficulties of integrating information from different non-destructive techniques for conservation purposes.