Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Madalena Ponte, Rita Bento, Alexandre A. Costa, Bruno Quelhas, Joao Miranda Guedes, Tiago Ilharco, Valter Lopes
Summary: Protecting cultural heritage sites is crucial, and seismic activity poses a significant threat. By conducting reliable numerical modeling and defining rehabilitation actions, vulnerable parts of historical buildings can be identified and strengthened to mitigate seismic risk and protect cultural heritage.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
I. Bratu, C. Marutoiu, A. Hernanz, O. F. Nemes, M. Tiplic, H. G. M. Edwards
Summary: The study of three Transylvanian fragments of 18th century Saxon tiles found at the Central Railway Station Square in Sibiu, Romania, revealed the use of lead-rich aluminosilicate as enamel/glaze. Analysis of the Raman spectra band components indicated a processing temperature of 600-800 degrees C, consistent with FTIR spectra results from other tile fragments.
VIBRATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Silvia R. M. Pereira, Gloria Conte, Lurdes Esteves, Alexandre N. Pais, Joao M. Mimoso
Summary: Azulejos, the unique art form of Portugal, have been used in architectural settings for the past five centuries. This article studies the chronology and typology of majolica azulejos produced by Lisbon workshops from the 16th to the 19th century. By using SEM-EDS, morphological and chemical information on the glazes, ceramic bodies, and their interfaces was obtained. The results reveal a transition from lead-rich to lead-alkali glazes in the 16th to 17th century, followed by the dominance of the same basic technology. The production of Lisbon tiles is also discussed in the context of Europe.
JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN CERAMIC SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Architecture
Bue-Dyel Kim
Summary: The Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in Gyeongbokgung Palace, built during the Joseon Dynasty, is a historical representative of Joseon's architecture both inside and out. Originally used for entertainment for important people, it now serves as a popular filming location for music videos. Despite the palace being burned down during the Japanese invasion, the pavilion stood for 270 years as a symbol of Gyeongbokgung Palace. During its reconstruction, traditional construction methods from the fourteenth century were preserved, resulting in a complex civil engineering project that took 1,000 days to complete.
JOURNAL OF ASIAN ARCHITECTURE AND BUILDING ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ilaria Costantini, Kepa Castro, Maria Dolores Rodriguez-Laso, Juan Manuel Madariaga, Gorka Arana
Summary: The study analyzed decorative wallpapers from a historical palace in Oiartzun, Spain, dating back to the 19th century before restoration using various spectroscopic techniques. Lead chromate was identified as the most used pigment, mixed with other pigments and applied with animal glue. The presence of brass as a shiny decorative element and partial degradation of cellulose due to natural aging and wall humidity were also revealed in the analysis.
Article
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Tea Ghigo, Michele Occhipinti, Andrew Beeby, Kelly Domoney, Daniel Bone
Summary: The reception of numerous new pigments during the nineteenth-century Colour Revolution was characterized by contrasting attitudes. Initial enthusiasm for chromatic possibilities was soon accompanied by concerns over stability and performance. This study focuses on John Ruskin, a renowned art critic and artist in Victorian England, and investigates his attitude towards pigment stability through archival research and material analysis of watercolours preserved at the Ashmolean Museum. The findings indicate his careful selection of materials based on the treatise Chromatography by chemist George Field and reveal the use of a previously unreported cobalt-based blue pigment.
Article
Architecture
Pablo Gumiel Campos
Summary: The National Palace of Sintra, the summer residence of the Portuguese kings and queens, underwent significant transformations during Manuel I's reign. These changes greatly affected the water infrastructure of the building, including the construction of an early 16th-century grotto called Gruta dos Banhos. Despite being refurbished in the 18th century, this grotto's existence was unnoticed until it was described by a contemporary Spanish traveler. This essay presents the original documentation and morphological details of the Gruta dos Banhos, and argues for its significance in the history of grottoes.
STUDIES IN THE HISTORY OF GARDENS & DESIGNED LANDSCAPES
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Architecture
M. Ponte, R. Bento, R. Machete, M. Godinho, A. B. Goncalves, A. P. Falcao
Summary: This study applied Building Information Model (BIM) to analyze the National Palace of Sintra in Portugal, developing an H-BIM model for providing geometric information and seismic analysis results as inputs for building management. Advanced measurement equipment and modeling software were used to study the complex seismic behavior of the palace.
12TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL CONSTRUCTIONS (SAHC 2021)
(2021)
Proceedings Paper
Architecture
M. Ponte, M. Malcata, R. Bento
Summary: The research focused on the conservation, structural behavior, and seismic vulnerability of the Bonet building in the National Palace of Sintra, Portugal. Detailed structural surveys and experimental tests were conducted to reduce uncertainties. Nonlinear static analyses were performed in different software, comparing modeling strategies and material characterization.
12TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL CONSTRUCTIONS (SAHC 2021)
(2021)
Article
Geography
Sandra M. G. Pinto
Summary: In 1806, High Court judge Luiz Gonzaga de Carvalho e Britto published the first Portuguese manual devoted to making property-register books, advocating a unique method for surveying and drawing estate maps based on his own experience as a mapmaker. Britto's aim was to instruct other judges in map-making techniques and emphasize the involvement of judges in the production of estate maps, which was a rare phenomenon in Portugal at the time.
IMAGO MUNDI-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE HISTORY OF CARTOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
History & Philosophy Of Science
Palmira Fontes da Costa
Summary: Numerous studies have revealed that women in the late eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century were actively involved in botany, not only as readers but also as participants and authors. However, the participation of women in Portuguese botany during this period has been largely overlooked. This article aims to address this gap by examining the translation of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Letters on the elements of botany (1800) by the Marquise of Alorna (1750-1839) and her poem Botanical recreations (1844). It explores the role of gender, genre, and social status in the dissemination of botany in Portugal, highlighting the association between women of the upper classes and the cultivation of science, as well as the alternative avenues of sharing knowledge through salons.
NOTES AND RECORDS-THE ROYAL SOCIETY JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Paulo Drumond Braga
Summary: The paper aims to explore the paths and changes experienced by the seven crown princes of Portugal between 1837 and 1910. Only two of them followed the typical pattern of inheriting the crown after reaching adulthood, and only one of them married and had children as an heir. All of them received excellent education and none of them had a desire for power, despite the common occurrences of power struggles between parents and their sons in the history of European monarchies.
LIBROS DE LA CORTE
(2022)
Review
Music
Luisa Cymbron, Joana Peliz
Summary: Discussing music in 19th century Portugal and the digital resources available for musicological research in that period, it is important to define the historical boundaries and consider whether periodization should be based on the events that significantly shaped the music scene in Portugal.
NINETEENTH-CENTURY MUSIC REVIEW
(2023)
Article
History
Carmine Cassino
Summary: In the first half of the 19th century, Italian historians showed a revived interest in the history of Portugal, specifically the political events of the Iberian Peninsula and the anti-French experiences. This led to a significant amount of research and publications on Portugal by Italian scholars, focusing on the connections between history and politics.
Article
History
Keith Grant
Summary: As urban areas relied more on centralized institutions for helping the poor, rural townships like Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, continued to focus on household-based poor relief methods. These townships indentured poor children, hired poor adults as servants, and auctioned off their labor at town meetings. However, these practices limited choices, exploited the poor as cheap labor, and further marginalised communities already facing racism and the legacy of slavery. Poor relief was a form of low law that exacerbated unequal social and labor relations.
HISTOIRE SOCIALE-SOCIAL HISTORY
(2023)
Article
Archaeology
Mafalda Costa, Luis Dias, Leonor Rocha, Jorge Oliveira, Pedro Barrulas, Jose Mirao
Summary: This study analyzed 115 lithic arrowheads recovered from two dolmens in Evora, Portugal, using various analytical techniques to determine the sources of raw materials and found that they came from different places, suggesting long-distance trade routes in Southern Iberia during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods.
GEOARCHAEOLOGY-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Teresa Palomar, Nadine Schibille, Luis Cerqueira Alves, Rafael Javier Diaz Hidalgo, Maria Auxiliadora Gomez-Moron
Summary: The Great Mosque of Cordoba is the only Islamic monument in al-Andalus that still has some of its original 10th-century glass mosaic decoration. The study reconstructs the transformations of the mosque and focuses on the glass mosaics to assess their state of preservation. The results show that modern materials were used for restoration, and some mosaics were completely replaced with replicas.
BOLETIN DE LA SOCIEDAD ESPANOLA DE CERAMICA Y VIDRIO
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Joao Cruz, Victoria Corregidor, Bruno Nunes, Luis Alves, Rogerio Colaco, Eduardo Alves
Summary: This study demonstrates the formation of a nitride layer on the surface of steel coinage dies using high fluence implantation of N-14(+) ions. The results show that nitrogen implantation at room temperature with a nominal fluence of 5.0 x 10(17) at/cm(2) significantly increases die hardness and exhibits lower crack density and similar wear resistance compared to standard coatings.
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Marcia Vilarigues, Andreia Ruivo, Thijs Hagendijk, Mario Bandiera, Mathilda Coutinho, Luis C. Alves, Sven Dupre
Summary: This study investigates the effect of melting conditions and furnaces on the final colors of historical glasses by reproducing three recipes of red enamel glass. The results show that the melting conditions have no significant impact on color differences, but samples produced in electric furnaces at 1200 degrees C exhibit a high degree of crystallinity and fast crystallization at room temperature. The historically optimal temperature range to avoid crystal formation is between 1050 and 1100 degrees C.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED GLASS SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Spectroscopy
Peter Vandenabeele, Catarina Pereira Miguel, Anastasia Rousaki, Silvia Bottura Scardina, Mathilda Larsson-Coutinho, Miriam Pressato, Antonio Candeias
Summary: Raman spectroscopy is widely used in the analysis of art objects due to its non-destructive nature and the availability of mobile instruments. However, the stable positioning required by Raman spectroscopy limits its accessibility to every spot of large artifacts. Therefore, exploring the use of zoom lenses for Raman investigation at different working distances is valuable.
JOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Luis Marques, Luis Felix, Goncalo Cruz, Vasco Coelho, Joao Caetano, Alberto Vale, Carlos Cruz, Luis Alves, Pedro Vaz
Summary: To detect special nuclear materials and other radioactive materials in security and defense scenarios, a combination of neutron and gamma-ray detection systems is typically used. Radiation portal monitors are commonly used at seaports to inspect shipping-container cargo and prevent the illicit trafficking of such materials. However, these systems are expensive and only a small fraction of containers can be inspected. This study presents a novel mobile radiation detection system using plastic scintillators and silicon photomultipliers, achieving accurate detection and localization of gamma and neutron sources.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Alexandra P. Rodrigues, Pedro M. P. Santos, Joao Pedro Veiga, Maria Helena Casimiro, Luis M. Ferreira
Summary: Sol-gel production of hybrid materials has revolutionised materials' engineering and the creation of new materials. However, this method has limitations that can be overcome by radiation processing. In this study, electron beam irradiation was used to synthesize hybrid structures using silanol-terminated PDMS, TEOS, and TPOZ as precursors. The effectiveness of the method was evaluated through gel fraction determination, WDXRF, and FTIR-ATR. Results showed that radiolysis induced scission on precursor's structures, leading to the formation of hybrid networks. Electron beam irradiation was found to be effective in creating Si-O-Zr bonds, resulting in the production of a Class II hybrid material.
Review
Microbiology
Antonio Carrapico, Maria Rosario Martins, Ana Teresa Caldeira, Jose Mirao, Luis Dias
Summary: Nanoparticles, especially metal nanoparticles, exhibit unique physical and chemical properties that make them suitable for diverse applications. However, the mechanisms underlying their antimicrobial activities and biosynthesis are still not well determined. This review compiles and proposes evidence-based mechanisms, including enzymatic disturbance by internalized metal ions and the role of reducing and negatively charged molecules. Recent studies on the biosynthesis of metal nanoparticles using microorganisms, particularly bacteria for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles, were summarized and analyzed. Furthermore, the potential use of metal nanoparticles in preserving cultural heritage materials was discussed.
Article
Archaeology
Adam Gaspar, Jan Petrik, Pavel Fojtik, Anna Tsoupra, Basira Mir-Makhamad, Ana Cardoso, Massimo Beltrame, Jose Mirao, Nick Schiavon, Jan Kolar
Summary: The Bell Beaker site near Brodek u Prostejova in Czechia has uncovered a large timber construction accompanied by four ritual deposits containing over fifty ceramic vessels. The vessels are decorated with incised patterns, with some having inlaid white incrustations. A multi-analytical and micro-destructive approach was used to determine the origins and technology of the pottery and the composition of the incrustations. The results suggest that the pottery came from various sources in the region, with the presence of extra-regional fabrics and graphitic temper. The white inlays were made from calcium carbonate, hydroxyapatite, and clay. The unique manufacturing processes and combination of decorative motifs indicate that the site served as a ritual place for multiple communities.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Emmanuelle Meunier, Filipa Dias, Joao Fonte, Alexandre Lima, Alexandra Rodrigues, Carlo Bottaini, Rui J. C. Silva, Joao P. Veiga, Manuel F. C. Pereira, Elin Figueiredo
Summary: This paper presents a comprehensive study on the evidence for ancient tin mining at the Ervedosa mine in Portugal. The geological context of the site indicates a rich cassiterite deposit, and ancient mining tools were recovered, providing evidence of prehistoric mining activities.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Fabio Sitzia, Carla Lisci, Vera Pires, Tiago Alves, Jose Mirao
Summary: This study conducted a laboratory simulation of a subarctic climate and assessed the physical/mechanical properties of slates. The results showed a decrease in mechanical performance and changes in physical properties after the climate simulation. Sun exposure experiment revealed no substantial color changes in the slates.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Archaeology
Pedro Valerio, Joaquina Soares, Luis C. Alves, Rui J. C. Silva, Maria Fatima Araujo, Carlos Tavares da Silva
Summary: Recent archaeological excavations at Castro de Chibanes in Portugal uncovered prehistoric remains from 2500-1900 cal BC, including ceramic crucibles and metal artefacts. Chemical and microstructural analysis revealed local copper production with varying arsenic contents, suggesting limited compositional homogenisation during post-casting manufacture. Comparison with other Chalcolithic settlements in the region indicates a broader context of metal production and use during the 3rd millennium BC. Furthermore, a previously identified bronze Bell Beaker tanged dagger was found to be composed of a leaded bronze alloy with a unique microstructure containing Cu-Fe sulphides with high Se contents, prompting a reassessment of its typology and chronology.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE-REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Carla Lisci, Fabio Sitzia, Vera Pires, Marco Aniceto, Jose Mirao
Summary: The long-term endurance of building stones is crucial for their economic and social value. Glossy surfaces are more vulnerable to wear, especially when exposed to slightly acidic rainwater. Hydrophobic treatments may prevent the damage caused by rain, but they are not always durable. This study compares natural aging and artificial weathering to predict the behavior of stones over time.
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Luis Almeida, Antonio Santos Silva, Rosario Veiga, Jose Mirao
Summary: This paper addresses the physical and mechanical characteristics of renders and plasters from selected buildings awarded during the 20th century in Lisbon, Portugal. The study aims to understand the evolution of mortars and determine compatibility requirements for future conservation and restoration interventions.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Forough Armal, Luis Dias, Jose Mirao, Vera Pires, Fabio Sitzia, Sergio Martins, Mafalda Costa, Pedro Barrulas
Summary: Water action is the primary cause of stone decay and chromatic changes in stone building materials. Protective eco-friendly hydrophobic coatings are efficient in preventing water penetration into stone. This study investigated different hydrophobic coatings and their correlation with limestone, dolomite, marble, and granitoid to tackle water action. The results show that a coating composed of silane/siloxane with modified fluorinated additives is the most effective, compatible, and durable.