Heritage Science Sverige forum 2024

Heritage science är ett expanderande och internationellt etablerat forskningsområde som förenar humaniora, naturvetenskap och teknik.

2024 års konferens har redan ägt rum, läs gärna konferensrapporten från forumet.
Forumet var ett samarbete mellan Nationalmuseum, nätverket Heritage Science Sverige och Riksantikvarieämbetet. 

Forumet syftade till att lyfta fram heritage science i Sverige och öka dess synlighet som forskningsområde. Vidare innehöll forumet föredrag, postrar, visningar och diskussioner med sikte på att främja och öka samverkan mellan olika organisationer och forskningsdiscipliner. Läs gärna abstracts för presentationerna som ligger längre ned på sidan.

Program

Måndag 13 maj 2024, kl. 10.30–17.00 | dag 1

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10.00 | Registreringen öppnar

Observera! Då Nationalmuseum är stängt när konferensen börjar öppnas portarna endast under vissa tidpunkter, se ovan.

10.30 | Heritage science på Nationalmuseum: Guidad visning

Personal på Nationalmuseum berättar om olika föremål på museet ur ett heritage science-perspektiv.

12.00–13.00 | Lunch

Serveras i restaurangen på Nationalmuseum.

13.00 | Välkomna – årets forum öppnar

Patrick Amsellem, överintendent på Nationalmuseum och Susanne Thedéen, vikarierande riksantikvarie på Riksantikvarieämbetet öppnar årets forum och hälsar alla deltagare välkomna.

13.10 | Session 1: Heritage Science i tider av konflikt

Klotterdokumentation under brinnande krig – Gunnar Almevik och Jonathan Westin, Göteborgs universitet.

Saved from the same puddle? Analysis of soil residues on the Bender Constitution and documents from Charles XII’s field chancellery – Thea Winther och Jan Mispelaere, Riksarkivet och Sven Isaksson, Arkeologiska forskningslaboratoriet, Stockholms universitet.

Disaster and vandalism response grab bag – its function and content – Emma Turgut, Munchmuseet, Oslo.

14.30 | Postersession och fika

Passa på att ta del av de olika postrarna under fikat i Kyrksalen.

15.30–17.00 | Session 2: Heritage science ur ett internationellt perspektiv

The voyage of the MObile LABoratories (MOLAB) through non-invasive approaches for heritage science diagnostics – Key note speaker: Brenda Doherty, CNR, Italien

E-RIHS in the Netherlands: formal and informal steps towards an infrastructure – Key note speaker: Jan van’t Hof, E-RIHS, Nederländerna.

17.00 | Middagsmingel

Mingel för middagsgäster i Kyrksalen på Nationalmuseum.

18.00 | Konferensmiddag

Vi avslutar dagen med middag i restaurangen på Nationalmuseum.

 

Tisdag 14 maj 2024, kl. 09.00–14.45 | dag 2

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09.00 | Välkomna till dag 2

Observera! Då Nationalmuseum är stängt när konferensen börjar öppnas portarna endast under vissa tidpunkter, se ovan.

09.00 | Session 3: Heritage Science och infrastruktursatsningar

ArchLab – Den nya nationella infrastrukturen för laborativ arkeologi – Philip Buckland, Umeå universitet

Heritage Science with Synchrotrons and Neutrons: Current programs and future possibilities at LINXS – Mikael Fauvelle, Lunds universitet.

Reflections and achievements from IPERION HS – Sara Norrehed, Riksantikvariämbetet.

How, where and why should heritage data be made openly available? – Barbro Bornsäter, Uppsala universitetsbibliotek.

10.20 | Postrar och fika  

Utanför södra Ljusgården på Nationalmuseum.

10.50 | Session 4: Heritage Science och museerna

Atmospheric plasma-generated monoatomic oxygen in sustainable heritage conservation: A novel green technology for contactless cleaning of the works of art – Michaela Florescu, Moderna Museet.

From Japan to Sweden and Back: revitalisation of Japanese playing card making traditions through technical and contextual analysis – Peter Mc Elhinney, Statens museer för världskultur.

Air quality in Swedish cultural heritage environments: past research and ways forward – Elyse Canosa, Riksantikvarieämbetet.

12.00 | Lunch  

Serveras i restaurangen på Nationalmuseum

13.00 | Session 5: Heritage Science och digitalisering

Towards an AI-supported cultural commons – Chris Haffenden, KB-labb, Kungliga biblioteketet.

Gotlandic picture stones: The online edition – Laila Kitzler Åhfeldt, Riksantikvarieämbetet och Michael Fergusson, Viospatia.

Development of AI-assisted transcription at the Swedish National Archives – David Haskiya, Riksarkivet.

14.00 | Sammanfattning och avslutning

Framåtblick för Heritage Science i Sverige – Margaretha Andersson, Uppsala universitet och Stefan Nilsson, Riksantikvarieämbetet.

14.45 | Postrar och vandring på Nationalmuseums utställningar på egen hand

På egen hand kan du studera postrar och objekt i utställningen som visades vid guidningen under dag 1.

17.00 | Museet stänger

Tack för i år! Nu ser vi fram emot nästa forum!

Läs mer om nätverket och om tidigare forum

Läs gärna publikationerna från tidigare forum och om nätverket för Heritage Science Sverige.

• Tidigare forum
• Mötesplats heritage science
• Heritage Science Sverige – Where science and the humanities meet (heritagescience.se)

Abstracts för sessionerna

Session 1

Saved from the same puddle? Analysis of soil residues on the Bender Constitution and documents from Charles XII’s field chancellery

Thea Winther (conservator, MSc), Jan Mispelaere (PhD, historian, and archivist), Sven Isaksson (professor of laboratory archaeology)

In the National Archives, Stockholm, there is a collection of documents from Charles XII’s field chancellery in Bender (1709-1713) with clear traces of dirt and soil. In the National Archives there is also the Ukrainian so-called Bender Constitution which also has dirt stains. When and where these documents were soiled has not previously been known. The answer to the question is not only connected to the history and provenance of the documents, but also sheds light on an important part of Ukraine’s and Sweden’s history during the early 18th century.

Different soils in different places have different compositions. By trying to analyze the elemental composition of these soil patches with the non-destructive analysis technique X-ray fluorescence, this project aims to, together with historical sources, answer questions such as: ”Is it the same soil on the documents in Karl XII’s Field chancellery in Bender and on the Bender Constitution?”, ”Could there be a connection to the historical event known as the Kalabalik in Bender?” and ”How has the Bender Constitution ended up in Sweden?”. In parallel with these documents, other documents and soil samples are also analysed, including from Varnitsa (Bender) in Moldova where the field office was located, and the data were statistically analysed. The project is a collaboration between the National Archives and the Archaeological Research Laboratory at Stockholm University. During the presentation, the background, method, and results will be presented.

Disaster and vandalism response grab bag – its function and content

Emma Turgut, Senior paper conservator, Munch museum, Oslo

Climate activist interventions targeting prominent masterpieces within major art museums have escalated in the past two years. These actions, while intended to raise urgent awareness of the climate crisis, often damage artworks or cause significant disruptions to museum operations. Since May 2022, environmental groups like Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion have been using unconventional materials to vandalize artworks with cake, soup, paint, and glue to capture the attention of museum visitors – by marking the object itself, or glass protecting art pieces and attaching themselves to the frame or wall surrounding them. Their message is clear: there is no art on a dead planet.

These interventions highlight the need for both preventive and responsive measures within the art world. While Munchmuseet in Oslo has been spared so far, the potential for physical and reputational damage remains a serious concern for museums both national and worldwide. Proactive approaches from other institutions, alongside our own experience including the implementation of a ”grab bag” – emergency kits containing tools and procedures for addressing such incidents – as potential models for wider adoption will be presented.

Session 2: 

The voyage of the MObile LABoratories (MOLAB) through non-invasive approaches for heritage science diagnostics

Brenda Doherty, CNR, Italy

The talk intends to showcase 20 years of bringing the laboratory to museums and sites by highlighting the expansive journey through innovation, multidisciplinary, challenges and future prospectus.

E-RIHS in the Netherlands: formal and informal steps towards an infrastructure.

Jan van’t Hof, Board member E-RIHS & National Coordinator

In the Netherlands, E-RIHS is taking shape step by step. We are working with a group to establish a sound network, and our national cultural heritage laboratory is an important starting point. Via meetings, activities, and calls, we are strengthening the community. Main challenges are the step from a network to a formal node, and the involvement of archaeology and monuments since the emphasis is still on collections.

Session 3: 

ArchLab  – Den nya nationella infrastrukturen för laborativ arkeologi

Philip Buckland & ArchLab konsortiet

Arkeologi är en rik källa till kunskap om mellanmänskliga relationer och samhällen, om rumslig organisation och materiell kultur, och om relationen mellan miljö, sjukdomar och sociala system. Inget annat ämne kan belysa människan, hennes utveckling och samverkan med sin omvärld under en så lång tidsrymd – en kunskap som är akut nödvändig när vi idag står inför stora klimat- och miljöförändringar. För att lösa dessa problem behöver vi både samarbete mellan olika forskningsämnen men också omfattande stöd till forskning inom arkeologi. ArchLab är ett samarbete mellan flera arkeologiska laboratorier och institutioner för att utveckla och stödja användandet av både etablerade och innovativa analysmetoder för att bättre kunna svara på stora frågor om forntida människor, miljöer och klimat samt samspelet mellan dem. ArchLab kommer att erbjuda forskarvärlden en mångfald av metoder inom prospektering, materialanalys, mikroskopiering, DNA-analys och åldersbestämning. ArchLab skapar en gemensam plattform för rådgivning och erbjuder paketlösningar för att minska väntetider, effektivisera användandet av små materialmängder och minska totalkostnaden för användare. Genom att kombinera och utveckla metoder breddar vi vår förståelse av det arkeologiska materialet och kan bidra med innovativa tillämpningar i ett snabbt växande och spännande fält. Samordningen inom ArchLab kan underlätta uppfyllandet av kulturmiljölagens mål och vi kommer också kunna använda den arkeologiska kunskapen mer för att lösa samhällets utmaningar.

Heritage Science with Synchrotrons and Neutrons: Current programs and future possibilities at LINXS

Mikael Fauvelle, Researcher, Lund University

Recent advancements in neutron and x-ray science have opened the door to a wide range of applications for heritage science research. These techniques provide tools to powerfully, yet non-invasively, characterize, image, and communicate information about critical heritage resources. In Lund, new investments at MAX IV and the European Spallation Source (ESS) provide a unique opportunity for heritage science specialists to develop new approaches and engagements with synchrotron and neutron research. This presentation will introduce the Heritage Science theme area within the Lund Institute for Advanced X-Ray and Neutron Science (LINXS). We will discuss some of the research possibilities that are available through these new techniques, as well as some of the challenges currently facing humanities and social science researchers hoping to access these infrastructures. We will also talk about future plans and possibilities for developing and streamlining Heritage Science research at Lund University.

How, where and why should heritage data be made openly available?

Barbro Bornsäter, Bibliotekarie, Uppsala Universitetsbibliotek

In December 2020, the Riksdag adopted the research proposal which states that ”scientific publications, which are the result of publicly funded research should be immediately openly available with effect from 2021”. It is also clarified in the proposal that the research data on which these scientific publications are based should be openly available by 2026. The work on the transition to open research data is continuing and it is part of a larger transition, that to an open science system.

Publicly funded research data should be shared according to the principle of  ”as open as possible, as closed as necessary”, but what does that really mean? Which data can be shared freely and which should be kept closed? Law and ethics are two important aspects to consider when deciding how to share data, and then comes the question of where to share it. Work is ongoing to establish a long-term national coordination activity for research data, and this includes getting technical solutions in place, but when it is not yet completed, there are no obvious places to store and share data.

The next question is why data should be shared, what is the benefit for society, for science and for the individual researcher? The data shared must comply with the FAIR principles, i.e. be findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable, which means that the data can be used by multiple people, for more projects and in different ways. The profit will be economical, the risk of dishonesty in research will be reduced as the data quality is checked and, in the future, hopefully, new merit systems will be in place where the availability of data will be included in the appointment of positions and the allocation of funds.

Session 4:

Atmospheric plasma-generated monoatomic oxygen in sustainable heritage conservation: A novel green technology for contactless cleaning of the works of art

Michaela Florescu, Sculpture and installation art conservator, Moderna Museet

The demand for green and sustainable approaches and technologies for cultural heritage conservation has intensified in the past decade, enshrined in policy documents such as ICOM-CC’s and IIC’s Declaration on Environmental Guidelines (2014), the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (2015), and the European Green Deal (2019). In prevailing cleaning practices conservators use known carcinogens, polluting, and waste-generating means, as they are faced with the paucity of alternative green cleaning technologies in the field. Additionally, mainstream cleaning methods frequently require mechanical action or contact with water or solvents, which are not suitable for fragile surfaces or can damage sensitive art materials. Moreover, diverse organic contaminants, like soot (from smoke or fire) or vandalism, can hardly be removed at all with conventional means.

The paper will discuss a radically different green approach to the cleaning of artworks, based on plasma-generated atomic oxygen (AO). This technology could provide a breakthrough solution to safely remove problematic contaminants from a broad range of surfaces in a contact-free manner, without health or environmental concerns, residues, or waste, thus resonating with the sustainability ethos and the needs of the field today.

The paper presents current research and development plans for AO technology in cultural heritage conservation under the European MOXY project (2022-2026), funded under the Horizon Europe call Green Technologies for Cultural Heritage.

The practical application of AO requires a generation system tailored for conservation, discussed in the context of past research at NASA in the 1990s.

Directed to the artwork’s surface, the AO beam ablates carbon-based contaminants at the atomic scale by converting them mainly into CO, CO₂, and H₂O vapors. AO is expected to prove a superior alternative or supplementary means for enhanced safety and efficiency of mainstream cleaning methods.

Comparison will be made with contact-based and contactless cleaning systems, such as laser and CO₂ snow blasting, and how these systems could be used in synergy.

Preliminary testing shows that AO technology could fill the critical gap in green cleaning methodology for problematic cultural heritage materials considered untreatable by other means, in a unique cleaning process without residues, waste or reliance on petrochemicals or hazardous materials.

From Japan to Sweden and Back: revitalisation of Japanese playing card making traditions through technical and contextual analysis of the SMVK collection

Peter Mc Elhinney

The cultural significance of a set of 18th century Japanese playing cards known as ‘mekuri karuta’ has come to light through recent exhibition-based research carried out at SMVK. The ‘Thunberg Set’ so named after their collector; naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg, is the oldest (almost) complete set of mass-produced Japanese cards in existence. The cards’ longevity and state of preservation are exceptional, particularly given the ephemeral nature of objects of this type. The tradition of hand printing such playing cards is no longer practiced in Japan, and little is known about the pigment and binder systems used in the printing, hand colouring, and finishing of surviving examples.

In June 2023, SMVK invited master woodblock printer, Kenji Takenaka and Japanese card game cultural specialist, Marcus Richert to take part in a Swedish heritage laboratory guest colleague research project. A range of technical analyses carried out by the heritage science team in Visby sought to understand the methods and materials used in the production of the historical cards. The technical results were interpreted in combination with ethno-historical contextual knowledge to locate the findings within historical Japanese printing traditions.

Having returned to Japan, Kenji and Marcus are preparing to produce a materially authentic replica set of cards at Takenaka Mokuhan Wood block printing studio, Kyoto. While the production of the replica set is a welcome byproduct of the project, the research is valued by the participants as an important step toward the wider revitalisation of this long maker tradition.

 Air quality in Swedish cultural heritage environments: past research and ways forward

Elyse Canosa, heritage scientist, Riksantikvarieämbetet

Air quality in cultural heritage environments has become a topic of increasing interest in recent years. Both outdoor and indoor airborne pollutants can cause irreversible damage to cultural heritage, but such issues can be prevented through actions such as pollution monitoring, material testing, appropriate material selection and air filtration. However, some airborne pollutants that are not dangerous for humans can cause significant issues for cultural heritage objects, even in very small amounts. Because of this, cultural heritage environments require specialized air quality solutions that can effectively monitor and reduce harmful pollutants while also being cost effective and easy to use.

This talk will discuss several projects from the past few years that have focused on air quality in cultural heritage environments within Sweden. The projects have examined air quality from different angles, including:

• Long-term pollution monitoring campaigns at Nationalmuseum;
• Emissions analysis of materials used for storage and display;
• Development and testing of novel materials for pollution reduction;
• Development and testing of low-emission wood products for storage and display.

Furthermore, the talk will also discuss the potential future of air quality studies and ways in which Sweden can contribute to the ongoing dialogue within this growing field of interest.

Session 5:  

Towards an AI-supported cultural commons

Chris Haffenden, KB-labb, Kungliga biblioteket, Seniorforskare på Handelshögskolan i Stockholm

Minnesinstitutionernas samlingar är en allmänning som det dock kan vara svårt för allmänheten att beträda: upphovsrättsliga hinder, antikvariska hänsyn, omfattande integritetslagstiftning och förlegade tekniska system gör att stora samlingar förblir dolda och i praktiken omöjliga att ta del av. När en ökande del av kulturarvet digitiseras eller samlas in digitalt ökar emellertid också möjligheterna för att med hjälp av artificiell intelligens (AI) öppna upp samlingarna och göra dem tillgängliga. Med utgångspunkt i KB-labbs – Kungliga bibliotekets datalabb – arbete med AI och tillgängliggörande, diskuteras och illustreras hur tidigare knapphändigt eller felaktigt beskrivna samlingar kan göras sökbara utifrån användarnas informationsbehov och frågeställningar och hur AI kan möjliggöra meningsfull interaktion med samlingarna, även i de fall de enskilda digitala objekten inte kan göras direkt tillgängliga.

Gotlandic picture stones: The online edition

Laila Kitzler Åhfeldt and Michael Fergusson

The Gotland picture stones, c. AD 400-1100 AD, constitute an unparalleled source of information on pre-Christian religions, depicting ritual and cultic acts like drinking ceremonies, processions, human sacrifices, and funeral rites. They are believed to illustrate myths, heroic narratives and beliefs that feature centuries later in Icelandic and Norwegian poetry and saga literature, and they are invoked by a range of disciplines, including archaeology, history of religions, art history, and runology.

The only existing corpus publication, Gotlands Bildsteine by Sune Lindqvist, is more than 80 years old and includes less than half of the known stones – now amounting to c. 705 stones. Within the project Ancient Images 2.0 we aimed to create a new online corpus publication.

As part of the project, we undertook ultra-high resolution photogrammetric recording of all Gotlandic picture stones. When digitizing such a large corpus, consideration of raw data quality, raw data quantity, ease of transport, ease of capture, end-use, and practical considerations such as accessibility, are key factors in choice of digitization method. End-use in our case meant publishing the data on a database to enable new research into the stones: shape, material, and most importantly interpretation of the carved imagery. To this, we add detailed descriptions, including research history and earlier interpretations, as well as archival material and a map.

We will present how our data is published, how it can be visualized and ultimately how it can be analyzed, e.g., by a method for groove analysis based on 3D-data developed for runestones.

Development of AI-assisted transcription at the Swedish National Archives

David Haskiya, Riksarkivet

Since 2020, the Swedish National Archives’ Research and Development function has developed and evaluated AI-assisted transcription – Handwritten Text-Recognition (HTR) – of older handwritten documents in Swedish. The development has resulted in both openly available HTR models and a model, Swedish Lion I, available in the Transkribus platform.

The work is now taking place within the National Archives’ newly established AI-lab, and the National Archives is now also developing its archival search service to support searching in and downloading the text of handwritten archive documents.

The plan is to begin transcription of the tens of thousands of archive volumes with handwritten text that the National Archives have already scanned in 2025. In this presentation, David Haskiya, Head of Unit for the AI-lab and Data Services at the National Archives, will explain how this development took place, its results, and what future developments the AI-lab will focus on.