Applied geology in analytical characterization of stone materials from historical building

Investigations of the provenance and technology of ancient materials are an important part of archaeological research. Studies of the geology of a region combined with petrographic research and chemical analysis may allow one to establish a possible source of raw-materials used. They also enable selection of the materials from currently accessible sources in the process of renovation or reconstruction of buildings 1–3]. Until now, the authors have carried out the studies in order to determine provenance of the raw-materials, the detailed analysis of composition (for the stone materials from Romanesque buildings in South Wielkopolska – Poland, and from ancient ruins in northern Israel and northern Egypt. Petrographic analysis (macro- and microscopic observations), cathodoluminescence (CL), X-raydiffraction (XRD) and stable isotopes analysis have been applied. In the next step, the detailed composition analysis enables, in the case of mortars, selection of suitable samples for dating 4, 9] and to determine the age of a given object, either directly by absolute dating (e.g. ¹⁴C of lime mortars) or indirectly, by relative age estimation on the basis of finds and artifacts (their components and characteristic style for a specific period). PACS 07.60 Pb; 78.60 Hk; 91.65 Dt; 91.60.-x; 07.85.Nc