Search

Ancient glass products have suffered from the baptism of time and experienced changes in the burial environment and weathering, resulting in a change in the proportions of their chemical composition and interfering with their accurate identification by later generations. In this paper, the chemical composition of ancient glass products is predicted and identified. First, the multivariate statistical ANOVA test is applied to explore the relationship between whether the cultural relics samples are weathered or not and the glass type, decoration, and color to derive a law of chemical composition of the cultural relics and to analyze the correlation and difference among the four factors. Second, compared with the relevant data of the existing glass products, the missing values are processed by using the method of filling in the plurality. The weathering condition of the sampling points of the samples whose surfaces are not weathered is judged by the "distance discrimination method." Combined with the characteristics of the lead-barium glass and the high-potassium glass, the law of the chemical composition content on the surface of the samples, weathered or not, is explored. The modeling of the gray prediction method was applied again to predict the chemical composition content before weathering. Finally, the generalized Shapley function of fuzzy measurement was used to analyze the correlation between indicators and the chemical compositions and their differences. The scheme proposed in this paper can solve the difficult problem of category judgment in archeology, which is of great significance in promoting the smooth progress of archaeological work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt efflorescence is one of the critical problems for the preservation of immovable silicate relics. Salt efflorescence mainly comes from continuous cycles of crystallization/dissolution or hydration/dehydration of salts in confined pores in silicate relics. Many protocols have been developed in attempts to alleviate possible salt damages with minor success because of endless water and salt feed from underground. In this study, we propose and design a novel technique for salt damage prevention and protection of immovable relics. Materials with higher water-absorbing ability than matrix are applied to control the water and salt migration direction in simulated sand samples. The distribution of moisture content on the surface of sand is followed by hyperspectral imaging. It appears that water and salt molecules will preferentially transport towards positions containing higher water-absorbing material. Both organic and inorganic high water-absorbing materials show effective in controlling the water and salt migration direction, which provides a new approach for the prevention and protection of salt efflorescence in silicate cultural relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Paper-based artifacts hold significant cultural and social values. However, paper is intrinsically fragile to microorganisms, such as mold, due to its cellulose composition, which can serve as a microorganisms' nutrient source. Mold not only can damage papers' structural integrity and pose significant challenges to conservation works but also may subject individuals attending the contaminated artifacts to health risks. Current approaches for strain identification usually require extensive training, prolonged time for analysis, expensive operation costs, and higher risks of secondary damage due to sampling. Thus, in current conservation practices with mold-contaminated artifacts, little pre-screening or strain identification was performed before mold removal, and the cleaning techniques are usually broad-spectrum rather than strain-specific. With deep learning showing promising applications across various domains, this study investigated the feasibility of using a convolutional neural network (CNN) for fast in-situ recognition and classification of mold on paper. Methods: Molds were first non-invasively sampled from ancient Xuan Paper-based Chinese books from the Qing and Ming dynasties. Strains were identified using molecular biology methods and the four most prevalent strains were inoculated on Xuan paper to create mockups for image collection. Microscopic images of the molds as well as their stains situated on paper were collected using a compound microscope and commercial microscope lens for cell phone cameras, which were then used for training CNN models with a transfer learning scheme to perform the classification of mold. To enable involvement and contribution from the research community, a web interface that actuates the process while providing interactive features for users to learn about the information of the classified strain was constructed. Moreover, a feedback functionality in the web interface was embedded for catching potential classification errors, adding additional training images, or introducing new strains, all to refine the generalizability and robustness of the model. Results & Conclusion: In the study, we have constructed a suite of high-confidence classification CNN models for the diagnostic process for mold contamination in conservation. At the same time, a web interface was constructed that allows recurrently refining the model with human feedback through engaging the research community. Overall, the proposed framework opens new avenues for effective and timely identification of mold, thus enabling proactive and targeted mold remediation strategies in conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1519, soil from the Campo Santo Teutonico next to St. Peter's in Rome — a burial place thought to contain earth from Jerusalem — was spread over the extramural cemetery in the Saxon town of Annaberg. This article asks how the reception of the soil from Rome was shaped by the local community and its landscape at a time of religious change. It demonstrates the potential for both positive and negative views on the part of Annaberg's citizens, arguing that these were informed not only by traditional religiosity and reform ideas, but also by the distinctive visual and material culture of a silver mining community. In this way, the article offers new perspectives on the transalpine connections of the Campo Santo Teutonico, the role of the substance of the landscape in creating and criticizing links with the Roman Church at the start of the Reformation, and the relationship between materialities of religion and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes an English miracle narrative in which a portion of the Holy Cross is implanted within a knight's body in the Holy Land and is translated to Cornwall. The text raises important questions about what implantation means for the relic and human matters so conjoined and their respective agencies. Drawing on ideas about prostheticized bodies developed in disability studies can help scholars better understand the ontological questions raised by the melding of human and nonhuman matters, the profound vulnerability this entails for the devout human subject, and the ways in which this fusion of relic and human matter is socially transformative for the broader community. The article thus outlines some of the complex negotiations of matter and agency that could be imagined as part of the affective world of late medieval and early modern Passion relic veneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to : -Introducing the supplications and their virtues . -Knowing the innovated supplications and their ruling . -Clarifying the religious implications of the supplications . -Explaining the negative effects of neglecting to recite supplications . Research method: inductive, deductive and deductive . Dhikr is one of the greatest and easiest acts of worship for a Muslim, yet people often neglect it. Remembrance has many virtues, benefits, and good effects, and this research dealt with the religious effects of remembrance (in its general meaning) and also dealt with the negative effects of neglecting them. Among the most prominent results reached by the researcher : -Allah has legislated remembrance for His servants for many interests, and because of its effects on the individual and the group . -The remembrance of Allah Almighty strengthens faith in Allah Almighty, his glorification, and his monotheism, and makes the Muslim steadfast in his religion, and through remembrance one attains association with Allah Almighty . -The remembrance of Allah Almighty strengthens the believer’s faith in the angels. Whoever looks at their deeds, this will prompt him to be keen on attending dhikr gatherings and to recite the prescribed dhikr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) is the most commonly used silicon-based reinforcement agent for conserving art relics due to its cost-effectiveness and commercial maturity. However, the resulting silica gel phase is prone to developing cracks as the gel shrinks during the sol–gel process, potentially causing severe damage to the objects being treated. In this study, dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DTMS) was introduced into TEOS to minimize this shrinkage by adding elastic long chains to weaken the capillary forces. The gel formed from the DTMS/TEOS hybrid material was transparent and crack-free, featuring a dense microstructure without mesopores or micropores. It exhibited excellent thermal stability, with a glass transition temperature of up to 109.64 °C. Evaluation experiments were conducted on artificially aged, handmade bamboo paper. The TEOS-based hybrid material effectively combined with the paper fibers through the sol–gel process, polymerizing into a network structure that enveloped the paper surface or penetrated between the fibers. The surface of the treated paper displayed excellent hydrophobic properties, with no significant changes in appearance, color, or air permeability. The mechanical properties of the treated bamboo paper improved significantly, with longitudinal and transverse tensile strengths increasing by up to 36.63% and 44.25%, respectively. These research findings demonstrate the promising potential for the application of DTMS/TEOS hybrid materials in reinforcing paper relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise in sea levels, driven by global climate change, poses a significant threat to cultural heritage in coastal regions. Traditional risk assessment methods, focusing on direct inundation, often fail to consider the crucial impact of socio-economic factors, which are significantly vulnerable to sea level rise. To bridge this gap, this study introduces an innovative Sea Level Rise Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment Model (SLR-CHIA Model), a novel approach that integrates both land inundation and socio-economic aspects. This comprehensive model evaluates potential risks to various types of cultural heritage in coastal China, including intangible cultural heritage, relics, and traditional villages. The study's findings are striking: (1) About 7.79% of coastal villages, 53.94% of relics, and 2.53% of intangible cultural heritage are potentially at high risk in a 100-year sea level rise event; (2) Relics in the Eastern coast and villages in the Southern coast are most vulnerable; (3) Different types of cultural heritage rely on diverse principal factors for protection, resulting in varied risk levels under sea level rise conditions. The SLR-CHIA Model provides a vital methodological framework for evaluating cultural heritage risks in other global regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the acquisition process of 3D cultural relics, it is common to encounter noise. To facilitate the generation of high-quality 3D models, we propose an approach based on graph signal processing that combines color and geometric features to denoise the point cloud. We divide the 3D point cloud into patches based on self-similarity theory and create an appropriate underlying graph with a Markov property. The features of the vertices in the graph are represented using 3D coordinates, normal vectors, and color. We formulate the point cloud denoising problem as a maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation problem and use a graph Laplacian regularization (GLR) prior to identifying the most probable noise-free point cloud. In the denoising process, we moderately simplify the 3D point to reduce the running time of the denoising algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that our proposed approach outperforms five competing methods in both subjective and objective assessments. It requires fewer iterations and exhibits strong robustness, effectively removing noise from the surface of cultural relic point clouds while preserving fine-scale 3D features such as texture and ornamentation. This results in more realistic 3D representations of cultural relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article offers a pedagogical approach to introducing undergraduate students to hagiology by comparing medieval sanctity to modern celebrity. The bodies of saints and celebrities are important loci for the transmission of sanctity or celebrity from a person to the public and for the continuity of identity. Examples include St. Faith, St. Cuthbert, Kim Kardashian, and Marilyn Monroe. Using a comparative method allows students who are non-religious to better apprehend the unfamiliar practices and beliefs around the cult of saints and relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Laser and photochemistry were first used in restoring and transformation of PbS on painted cultural relics. • Targeted fast realization of restoring and transformation of PbS, and without damage to the base color. • Laser catalysis restoration has wide applicability to papers, the silks and other organic materials. Lead white darkening is a common disease in all kinds of painted cultural relics. In this study, a combination of laser and photodynamic technology was used to achieve controlled restoration of lead sulfide at the lead darkening site on the painted layer of cultural relics by laser catalysis with porphyrin to produce singlet oxygen. The chromatic change, micromorphology and chemical composition were systematically studied for a simulated sample with the lead darkening part of the painted layer. The results show that laser catalytic treatment can repair the color darkening that occurs by the PbS formation, while no obvious changes to the pore and microparticle structure of the painted layer and the base. In this study, the pollutant of lead sulfide was proved to be converted into lead sulfate by oxidation, and then was converted to lead white by precipitation, which was the original composition of the pigment. It is also found that the laser catalytic treatment method can effectively avoid basic layer damages of cultural relics, especially for the papers, the silks and other organic materials. This technology not only provides a new approach for the restoration and transformation of PbS on painted cultural relics, but also makes available new applications for the laser and photodynamic technology in the field of cultural relics protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop an environment‐friendly detergent for textile relics adsorbing soil/rust stains, the relationship between surfactant types and concentrations, the nature of additives and the type of textile (e.g., cotton, linen, silk or wool) were systematically investigated. Results showed that the detergent formulations of sodium montmorillonite (5 g/L) as additives were overall the best options for soil stains removal on textile relics. Specifically, the most suitable surfactant for cotton, linen, silk and wool textiles relics adsorbing soil stains was rhamnolipid (8 g/L), tea saponin (6 g/L), tea saponin (8 g/L), alkyl glycosides (10 g/L), respectively. The detergent formulations of ascorbic acid (5 g/L) as additives were more beneficial for rust stains peeling‐off from the surface of the textile relics regardless of the type of surfactant and textile relics. But the optimal surfactants for different textiles relics were different. In detail, the most suitable surfactants for cotton, linen, silk and wool textiles relics adsorbing rust stains were separately rhamnolipid (10 g/L), Tea saponin (8 g/L), Tea saponin (6 g/L), Alkyl glycosides (6 g/L). This indicated that the washing effect of detergent formulation was related to the types of stains and textile relics' fiber. These findings not only demonstrated the necessity for developing detergent formulations for different textile relics, but also illustrated the complexity and diversity of the textile relics' stain‐washing work. Moreover, this work also assists understanding of the washing mechanism of textile relics and help the department of textile relics protection to properly wash textile relics and extend the life of textile relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compact massive relic galaxies are a class of galaxies that exhibit characteristics suggesting they have remained largely unchanged since their initial formation, making them 'relics' of the early Universe. These galaxies represent a distinct class characterized by strongly peaked high-velocity dispersion profiles with large rotational velocities. This study investigates the formation of such galaxies within the framework of Milgromian dynamics (MOND), offering a unique perspective on their origin without invoking the presence of cold or warm dark matter. Our analysis focuses on the collapse dynamics of isolated non-rotating post-big bang gas clouds, revealing kinematic and density profiles comparable to observed compact massive relic galaxies like NGC 1277, Mrk 1216, and PGC 032873. The findings underscore the natural emergence of compact massive relic galaxies within a MOND-based Universe, providing valuable insights into the interplay between gravitational dynamics and galaxy formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relic galaxies are massive, compact, and quiescent objects observed in the local Universe that have not experienced any significant interaction episodes or merger events since about z  = 2, remaining relatively unaltered since their formation. On the other hand, massive and compact early-type galaxies (cETGs) in the local Universe appear to show similar properties to Relic galaxies, despite having substantial accretion history. Relic galaxies, with frozen history, can provide important clues about the intrinsic processes related to the evolutionary pathways of ETGs and the role that mergers play in their evolution. Using the high-resolution cosmological simulation TNG50-1 from IllustrisTNG project, we investigate the assembly history of a sample of massive, compact, old, and quiescent subhaloes split by satellite accretion fraction. We compare the evolutionary pathways at three cosmic epochs: z  = 2, z  = 1.5, and z  = 0, using the orbital decomposition numerical method to investigate the stellar dynamics of each galactic kinematical component and their environmental correlations. Our results point to a steady pathway across time that is not strongly dependent on the mergers or the environment. Relics and cETGs do not show a clear preference for high- or low-density environments within the volume explored at z  = 0, as they are found in both scenarios. However, the progenitors of Relic galaxies have consistently resided in high-density environments since z  = 2, while cETGs were shifted to such environments at a later stage. The merger history can be recovered from the stellar kinematics imprints in the local Universe. Relics and cETGs show consistently dynamical similarities at z  = 2 and differences at z  = 0 to disc, bulge, and hot inner stellar halo. In the current scenario, the mergers that drive the growth of cETGs do not give rise to a new and distinct evolutionary pathway when compared to Relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global climate change, it is of great interest to assess the adaptive capabilities of the glacial relics of Ranunculus kamtschaticus DC. of the Urals and the prospects for their conservation has a high degree of ecological specialization for high mountain conditions and extremely low plasticity. It is preserved in the midlands of the Urals on individual peaks. The life form of R. kamtschaticus in the Ural fragment of its range is a brush-rooted non-turf polycarpic grass with erect assimilating shoots of a non-succulent type. The variability of the development of its shoots and shoot systems under the influence of climatic and weather conditions is shown, the preferential development of shoots with an incomplete development cycle is noted. Irregular fruiting, a long period of germination, and rapid loss of seed germination reduce the competitiveness of R. kamtschaticus in the Urals and its ability to colonize new territories. Threat assessment according to IUCN criteria showed that populations of the species in the Komi Republic and Sverdlovsk oblast are in critical condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the discovery of a radio relic in the north-eastern periphery of the galaxy cluster Abell 2108 (A2108). A2108 is part of the uGMRT LOw-MAss Galaxy Cluster Survey (GLOMACS), where our main aim is to search for diffuse radio emission signatures in very sparsely explored low-mass galaxy clusters using uGMRT band-3 (central frequency 400 MHz). We used our uGMRT band-3 observations along with the existing archival band-3 uGMRT data to improve image sensitivity. Along with the previously reported south-western relic, the discovery of the new relic makes A2108 one of the few low-mass clusters hosting a double relic. The new relic spans over a region of 610 kpc × 310 kpc and, interestingly, differs considerably in size and morphology from the other relic. Using XMM–Newton science archive data, we also report the tentative detection of a mildly supersonic shock of Mach number |$\mathcal {M}_\mathrm{SB}=1.42$| and |$\mathcal {M}_\mathrm{T} = 1.43$| from the surface brightness and temperature discontinuities, respectively, near this newly found relic. Both the relics in A2108 are found to be significantly under-luminous compared with other double-relic systems in the mass–luminosity plane. Moreover, the north-eastern relic is remarkably under-luminous in the size–luminosity plane. Although mild supersonic shocks resulting from an off-axis merger could have influenced the origin of both relics, we hypothesize that local environments have played a crucial role in shaping their morphologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heavy military attack and colonial domination during the successive Japanese invasion wars hit the Chinese traditional culture and people the hardest and wreaked havoc on cultural relics, causing a catastrophic and irremediable loss to society. The topic of restitution of looted Chinese cultural relics during these wars arose owing to the long-pending historical issues between China and Japan. However, this issue has never attracted significant attention from the international community. Applying empirical analysis and drawing on the case study, this paper primarily focuses on two typical representative cases of the recovery of looted Chinese cultural relics from Japan, which triggered three significant issues to be addressed: the legal analysis of two recovery cases through litigation and non-litigation relief; proving the legality concerning different ownership rights of the Chinese government and individuals seeking to recover state-owned and privately-owned cultural relics; exploring the legal grounds for recovering state-owned and privately-owned cultural relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What sacred objects did the Lusignan kings of Cyprus treasure in their collection of holy items? Certainly, they had fragments of the Holy Cross and saints' skulls, but what about Passion relics such as the titulus placed above the crucified Christ, or the white rock to which the cross was affixed? This study explores overlooked fourteenth-century Franciscan apocryphal stories about the life of Christ and didactic narratives which, among other things, cite Passion relics and their respective proprietors. In the following essay, I will turn attention to relics which, according to these texts, were in the safe-keeping of the kings of Cyprus. In addition to evaluating the reliability of such evidence, I will discuss the nature of the relics, identify the mysterious relic-hoarder king, and seek to uncover a representation of such a relic in the 'Royal Chapel' at Pyrga, Larnaca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the third data release of the INvestigating Stellar Population In RElics (INSPIRE) project, comprising 52 ultra-compact massive galaxies (UCMGs) observed with the X-Shooter spectrograph. We measure integrated stellar velocity dispersion, [Mg/Fe] abundances, ages, and metallicities for all the INSPIRE objects. We thus infer star formation histories and confirm the existence of a degree of relicness (DoR), defined in terms of the fraction of stellar mass formed by z  = 2, the time at which a galaxy has assembled 75 per cent of its mass, and the final assembly time. Objects with a high DoR assembled their stellar mass at early epochs, while low-DoR objects show a non-negligible fraction of later formed populations and hence a spread in ages and metallicities. A higher DoR correlates with larger [Mg/Fe], supersolar metallicity, and larger velocity dispersion values. The 52 UMCGs span a large range of DoR from 0.83 to 0.06, with 38 of them having formed more than 75  per cent of their mass by z  = 2. Of these, nine are extreme relics (DoR>0.7), since they formed the totality (⁠|$\gt 99~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠) of their stellar mass by redshift z  = 2. The remaining 14 UCMGs cannot be considered relics, as they are characterized by more extended star formation histories. With INSPIRE  we built the first sizeable sample of relics outside the local Universe, up to z ∼ 0.4, increasing the number of confirmed relics by a factor of >10, and opening up an important window to explain the mass assembly of massive galaxies in the high- z Universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semi-exposed relics within an air–soil system often have earthworks partially buried, leading to moisture migration and substantial salt accumulation. Salt accumulation threatens relic preservation, but destructive sampling is hindered by conservation concerns. We conducted a case study on salt enrichment at K9901 Armour Pit of Emperor Qinshihuang 's Mausoleum Site Museum. Environmental factors and soil salt characteristics were assessed through sampling and monitoring. A relic-soil coupling system was established with a soil column device containing burned bricks. Using 5-TE sensors, water and salinity movement was tracked, and X-ray diffraction analyzed relic salt crystals. The soil column experiment effectively simulated water-salt migration in relics. Salts, like Cl−, NO3−, SO42−, Na+, and Mg2+, concentrated on the soil surface during evaporation. Simulation linked specific salt species to relic ailments. Salt solution from soil migrated to bricks, forming CaSO4 crystals. Results highlight coupling's role in salt-related deterioration and the need to protect it for optimal relic preservation. Findings impact semi-exposed relic conservation, revealing salt accumulation processes and their impact on historical artifacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a longstanding tradition of studies in Sanskrit compounds, a description that enables comparisons in cross-linguistic perspective has not yet been worked out. The present article follows classificatory criteria introduced by Bisetto & Scalise (2005, 2009) and sketches a typology of compounds in the most archaic variety of Sanskrit, Early Vedic, as transmitted by the RigVeda. Analyzing compounds on the basis of the grammatical relations holding between their constituents provides a classification into coordinate, subordinate, and attributive compounds, with the endocentric/exocentric divide cutting across all classes. In order to identify the position of Early Vedic compounds on the syntax-morphology continuum, the article investigates the degree of cohesiveness at the level of morphology, prosody, syntax, and semantics. With this respect, the RigVeda offers a varied picture where relics of archaic, less cohesive forms occur side-to-side with more productive and word-like ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the Notre-Dame de Paris restoration site, objects and materials are the focus of contrasting attentions. While thedebris of the framework and the vault are examined and preserved as vestiges, the materials destined for Notre-Dame are prepared to be invested with the sacredness of the building. These different ways of thinking about the materiality of the monument and of putting it into memorial and narrative frames contribute to craft the exceptionality of Notre-Dame. They organize an ongoing investigation, based on a collaborative and visual ethnography, questioning the co-construction of authenticity, between patrimonial and religion practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic relationship that exists between a religious rite and its territory is interpreted and analysed by religious anthropology as a form of protection, offered by the sacred to the place in which it resides. According to this interpretation, passage through the territory of what is reputed to be sacred or even its very presence as a sanctuary, drives evil away and is believed to perform a generally stable protective function. Within such a dynamic, the rite that actually creates this sacred passage, i.e., the procession of relics, lays the foundations for an analysis of the two specific variables that are, in actual fact, intwined: on the one side is the rite, and on the other, the territory. Such a relationship appears all the more problematic due to the progressive rationalisation of the religious dimension, extensively dealt with by Max Weber (Weber 1920) and accepted by contemporary sociology on religion, as it is now a supernatural phenomenon that is only considered to have a representational dimension. The internal secularization at the festival of Saint Rosalia happened in 2023, with the landing of the triumphal cart in New York. The rite moves to another new territory and transforms it. The cart of Saint Rosalia, preserved in the Columbus Citizens Foundation in New York, represents the identity of Sicilian immigrants but also a new form of ritualization on a new territory through an "ancient" ritual. When the sacred is located within the institutional dimension of a salvation religion presided over by an institution, it appears separate from any purely mechanical (and therefore magical) dimension, while the territory becomes a variable in which a multiplicity of factors are contained. These factors not only give importance to the very aspects of the ritual itself, boosting its civil and secular parts, but also to the religious programme, which undergoes unexpected transformations introduced by the presiding institution. The main object of this analysis is, therefore, to establish an interactive path whereby, on the one hand, the territory, through its various cultural components (both secular and religious), shapes the religious rite and how it places restrictions on those protective functions, while on the other, how the rite places its own constraints on the cultural transformations that take place in the fabric of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cathedral of Valencia, Spain, has preserved the so-called Holy Chalice of the Last Supper since 1437. It consists of a foot, a gold stem, and an upper cup carved in agate stone. Based on a pious tradition, this cup is supposed to be the one used by Jesus of Nazareth to institute the Eucharist. According to an archeological study published in 1960, this agate bowl was crafted around the 2nd–1st centuries BC, but people visiting this famous relic often wonder about its authenticity and about the evidence supporting it as a Hellenistic–Roman cup. Attempting to clarify this concern, a photographical characterization of the agate cup is presented and discussed. The main conclusions are the following: (i) The typology of the bowl is common to classical tableware, but the wall thickness, shape of the rim, and foot are typical of gemstone cups from the Hellenistic–Roman period. (ii) This cup would have been extremely valuable, which agrees with the location of the Cenacle in the aristocratic neighborhood of Jerusalem. This case study highlights the importance of further investigating the dating of historical objects as a key issue to support their authenticity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A joint hadronic model is shown to quantitatively explain the observations of diffuse radio emission from galaxy clusters in the form of minihaloes, giant haloes, relics, and their hybrid, transitional stages. Cosmic-ray diffusion of order D ∼ 1031–32 cm2 s−1, inferred independently from relic energies, the spatial variability of giant-halo spectra, and the spectral evolution of relics, reproduces the observed spatio-spectral distributions, explains the recently discovered mega-haloes as enhanced peripheral magnetization, and quenches electron (re)acceleration by weak shocks or turbulence. For instance, the hard-to-soft evolution along secondary-electron diffusion explains both the soft spectra in most halo peripheries and relic downstreams, and the hard spectra in most halo centres and relic edges, where the photon index can reach α ≃ −0.5 regardless of the Mach number |$\mathcal {M}$| of the coincident shock. Such spatio-spectral modelling, recent γ-ray observations, and additional accumulated evidence are thus shown to support a 2010 claim that the seamless transitions among minihaloes, giant haloes, and relics, their similar energetics, integrated spectra, and delineating discontinuities, the inconsistent |$\mathcal {M}$| inferred from radio versus X-rays in leptonic models, and additional observations, all indicate that these diffuse radio phenomena are manifestations of the same cosmic-ray ion population, with no need to invoke less natural alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the book "American Relics and the Politics of Public Memory" by Matthew Dennis. The book explores the history of collecting and displaying relics in the United States, tracing the connections between human remains, eyewitness objects, and personal possessions held at museums and historical sites. It raises questions about the sacred status of material objects in the US and how relics have been mishandled, appropriated, and stolen. The book is organized into three sections, covering major periods in the creation of public memory through objects, and highlights the inextricability of relics from the process of creating myths and narratives about the nation. [Extracted from the article]

NS-Provenienzforschung in modernen universitären Strukturen – wie passt das zusammen? Als Bindeglied fungieren Bücher, deren Herkunft Rätsel aufgibt. Zur Lösung werden die Wege der Bestände von ehemaligen NS-Parteibibliotheken über verschiedene Institutionen nbis in heutige wissenschaftliche Bibliotheken verfolgt. Daraus ergibt sich ein innovativer Forschungsansatz, der die bibliothekarische Entnazifizierung anhand ihrer Überreste untersucht. Diesen präsentiert der vorliegende Beitrag, der auf einer Dissertation basiert, in einem Dreischritt. Nazi provenance research in modern university structures – how does that fit together? The link is formed by books whose origins pose a mystery. To find a solution, the paths of the holdings are traced from former Nazi party libraries via various institutions to today's academic libraries. This results in an innovative research approach that examines the denazification of libraries based on their remains. This article, which is based on a dissertation, presents this approach in a three-step approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the repurposing of historical relics into jewelry, a trend observed at the AGTA, GJX, and Pueblo shows. Topics include the incorporation of artifacts from Chinese, Greek, Viking, and medieval European cultures into jewelry pieces, the appeal of wearing items with a connection to the past, and examples of such jewelry, such as carved mother-of-pearl pieces featuring eighteenth-century Chinese gaming counters.

The article discusses a book titled "An Artful Relic: The Shroud of Turin in Baroque Italy" by Andrew R. Casper. The book explores the artistic and cultural significance of the Shroud of Turin during the Baroque period in Italy. Casper argues that the Shroud could be interpreted as an object of art without blasphemy, and that it was considered a work of art of divine origin. The author also examines the emotional and aesthetic perception of the Shroud, and its enduring power as an artistic relic. The article praises Casper's work for shedding new light on the subject and providing a unique perspective. [Extracted from the article]

The relic gravitational waves (RGWs) originating from the early stages of the universe represent one of the most significant and highly focused targets for future gravitational wave (GW) detections, due to that these waves contain crucial information about the evolution of the cosmos and serve as key evidence for various cosmological models such as the big bang. RGWs cover exceptionally broad frequency bands encompassing the gigahertz (GHz) range (109 Hz), and the schemes based on electromagnetic (EM) response to GWs have been long and widely studied for such GHz band. Differently to previous works, we work out analytical and numerical forms of EM signals (with acquired novel characteristics and distinctive behaviors) caused by relic high-frequency GWs (RHFGWs) in simulated resonant cavity. By joint application of constructed effective and targeted deep learning neural networks, we successfully identify these EM signals amidst noise, and for the first time distinguish the different oscillating factors in focused model of RGW; also, we estimate typical parameters of corresponding RHFGWs and associated cosmological models, and establish a new scheme to explore the possible extra polarizations of RHFGWs in resonant cavity. In brief, we obtain new connections between the distinctive features of caused EM signals in cavity and corresponding parameters of cosmological models and RGWs; the results and methods would not only contribute to current theoretical investigation but also could provide valuable insights and preparation for potential experiments aimed at detecting such RHFGWs in the future, or may placing constraints on relevant GW parameters and theories of gravity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has become widely acknowledged that certain underwater cultural relics, in a state of severe decay, should be salvaged for further protection. Underwater temporary reinforcement materials provide the possibility for such protection. These materials can achieve both the reinforcement of cultural relics underwater, as well as their reversible removal after extraction, without causing damage to the cultural relics in either process. In this context, two kinds of hydrogels based on polyethylene glycol-derived polymers were developed in this study. They are denser than water and can undergo gelatinization by UV-induced or oxidant-induced reactions in the underwater environment. Additionally, they possess enough mechanical strength to provide the necessary support in the bonding process. Both hydrogels have been successfully used to extract fragile underwater archaeological wooden artifacts in situ under laboratory conditions. The experimental results revealed that, in the case of UV-induced hydrogels, the compression strength was 115 kPa with a tensile strength of 20 kPa. For oxidant-induced hydrogels, the compression strength was 382 kPa, while the tensile strength was 8.2 kPa. During the actual extraction processes, the UV-induced hydrogel exhibited a lower water absorption ratio, maintained a more stable mechanical property underwater, and was easier to remove after extraction. On the other hand, the oxidant-induced hydrogel could complete the gelation process quickly through a rather convenient operation; however, it tended to absorb surrounding water and swell, thereby reducing its mechanical property. These two methods would be adapted to different underwater archaeological sites as convenient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective novel methods for extracting fragile underwater wooden relics. Two kinds of environmental stimulant-responsive hydrogels successfully solidified and extracted fragile archaeological wood underwater. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different cultural backgrounds give birth to distinct styles of cultural heritage. In order to explore the relationship between the cultural relics' materials and the specific cultural attributes, a new method for the recognition of cultural relics' image materials based on computer vision and attention mechanism is proposed. Moreover, this paper analyzes the relationship between Chinese traditional cultural relics and Chinese dynasties as an example. The methodology of this work consists first of using Python to collect and manually screen cultural relic images of common material types. Then, the nine datasets with different materials are uploaded to the EfficientNet-B0 network with the attention mechanism for iterative training. The best weight model is stored and put to the test. Finally, the improved EfficientNet-B0 network is applied to recognize the cultural relics image datasets of each dynasty, and the relationship between the materials and the cultural attributes of each dynasty is analyzed. As for the outcomes, the experimental results show that the EfficientNet-B0 model, with the attention mechanism, can effectively enhance the extraction of image material information, and the accuracy of the recognized cultural relics image materials reaches up to 88.15%, with an average precision of 83.3%. The comparison experiment on the material dataset shows that the proposed method has excellent ability in the recognition of material image compared with other common image recognition methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A museum is a historical and cultural center with important conservation significance. In this work, the minimum light damage spectrum of paper cultural relics and solar spectrum are mixed in 11 different proportions by MATLAB software. In addition, REDOX index and the full-spectrum index are used as evaluation indices to calculate the damage degree and comfort level of the mixed 11 spectra. The monochrome light emitting diodes (LEDs) on the market are investigated, and a simulation database of 109 monochromatic LEDs is established by using the state joint state density function as the spectral radiation model. The nine mixed spectra with solar spectral weights from 0.1 to 0.9 are used as the target spectra. The monochromatic LEDs and 2850 K warm white LED in the database are fitted to calculate the optimal solution, and the spectral combination scheme is obtained by parameter comparison. A hybrid light source is designed by LIGHTTOOLS simulation software, and chromaticity analyses are carried out for the five light sources with solar spectral weights of 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9. The results prove the feasibility of the theory of mixing the solar spectrum with the minimum light damage spectrum to improve the comfort and color rendering of the light source. This will have a certain guiding significance for the lighting of the museum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A model combining compression sensing and total variation is proposed to achieve high-resolution reconstruction. • A combinatorial function α is proposed to extend the constraints L 1 -L 2 to preserve the unique texture details of artifacts. • Even under low iterations, noise, and reduced number of radial lines, L 1 -αL 2 +TV achieves accurate detail reconstruction. • The L 1 -αL 2 +TV hybrid model provides a significant benefit for artifacts conservation and restoration. Industrial computed tomography (ICT) has emerged as a valuable tool for the conservation of cultural relics since it enables the extraction of information about the internal structure of artifacts without causing any damage. However, sparse and finite angle projection computed tomography (CT) often generates images with a large number of artifacts caused by insufficient data. This paper introduces a new cone-beam CT hybrid model based on compressed sensing (CS) theory and total variance (TV) denoising using the Split Bregman algorithm to address this problem, for the first time using compressed sensing theory for CT reconstruction of cultural relics. The model combines the L 1 and L 2 norms and optimizes the total variance of the image as the objective function. To enhance the reconstruction of L 1 -L 2 , the paper employs the continuation strategy of α and proposes a new combination function to update α. Consequently, the reconstruction results are compared with those of traditional common methods, and the effect of different α update functions is observed on the reconstruction results. The results from the model and real CT images demonstrate that the proposed L 1 -αL 2 + TV method yields superior reconstruction results compared to ART + TV, SART, and L 1 /L 2 algorithms based on objective evaluation indexes such as RMSE, SSIM, and PSNR, the proposed L 1 -αL 2 + TV method achieves SSIM improvement of at least 15.2 %. Moreover, the newly proposed combined function is better at preserving the grain of the image, resulting in a much-improved reconstruction of the contours, making it highly beneficial for subsequent conservation and restoration of heritage. Overall, this proposed L 1 -αL 2 + TV mixture model provides low-noise and high-quality reconstruction results, while maintaining the grain of the original image, making it a great boon for heritage conservation and restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Four types of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membranes loaded with oregano essential oil (OEO) and AgNPs were prepared. • The AgNPs/OEO composite nanofiber membrane exhibited excellent antifungal effects against Aspergillus niger on rice paper. • The main components in OEO are volatilized in the gas phase, exhibit optimal antifungal activity under non-contact condition. • There was minimal change in the color and oxidation degree of the paper relics when exposed to the nanofiber membrane. Electrospinning technology is an innovative method used to synthesize continuous ultra-fine polymer fibers of nanomaterials, offering a mild processing environment that enables the integration of bioactive substances, metal particles, and polymer matrix materials. Notably, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) exhibit significant and eco-friendly antibacterial properties, as these small-sized metal nanoparticles can penetrate bacterial cells swiftly and induce quick sterilization. Additionally, oregano essential oil (OEO), extracted from natural plants, is an environmentally safe agent with broad-spectrum antibacterial and strong antioxidant properties. In this study, four types of electrospun membranes were prepared: polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membranes, oregano essential oil (OEO) nanofiber membranes, silver nanofiber membranes loaded with oregano essential oil (AgNPs/OEO), silver nanofiber membranes (AgNPs). To characterize these membranes, their surface morphology, crystalline phase structures, and functional group characteristics were analyzed. The antibacterial effects of these four membranes on rice paper were then investigated through contact and non-contact experiments. Finally, AgNPs/OEO composite film exhibited excellent antifungal effects against Aspergillus niger on rice paper under both conditions and was essentially non-invasive to the paper cultural relic's ontology, offering a new method for the conservation of paper cultural relics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uniqueness of brick-carved cultural relics causes a higher requirement for restoration techniques and repair materials. Considering the weather resistance and compatibility with the original substrate bricks, three types of inorganic binders were selected as alternative options for brick carving restoration: Ca-based hydraulic lime, Si-based silica sol, and Mg-based magnesium oxychloride. Multiple experiments were conducted to investigate the compatibility of the replica bricks produced using these binders. The adhesive properties and infiltration reinforcement of the binders were also taken into consideration to evaluate the feasibility of these materials' application for the restoration of brick-carving cultural relics. The results showed that the Mg-based cementitious material led to the best performance, maintaining their original physical properties while restoring the original cohesion. A successful in situ test was conducted on the Southern Song brick carvings (1152 CE) inside the Liuhe Pagoda (Fig. 1 a) in Hangzhou. • Inorganic magnesium based cementitious materials can be used to repair weathered brick carvings, with effective results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microeukaryotic community succession in reservoir was studied based on DNA. • Total DNA-based microeukaryotes was compared with living community. • Relic DNA masked the results of succession patterns of the living community. • Beta-diversity and turnover showed different perspectives regarding relic DNA. • Community assembly results of living community biased by the presence of relic DNA. High-throughput sequencing has revolutionized the DNA sequence-based study of microbial community and diversity on an unprecedented scale. Relic DNA is widespread in the natural aquatic environment; however, the extent to which such DNA can bias the sequence-based analysis of living microeukaryotic communities is unclear. Here, we conducted a 30-day field-control experiment investigating biofilm succession of microeukaryotic communities on glass slides and polyurethane foam units (PFUs) in a subtropical urban reservoir, using DNA-based approach. The propidium monoazide (PMA) dye was used to distinguish living and relic DNA sequences. Our results showed that microeukaryotic community succession in biofilms was time and substratum dependent, which was correlated with changing environmental conditions, nutrients and microalgae. Most importantly, relic DNA has a significant influence on the estimation of beta diversity and turnover in community composition, importantly its presence masked the successional patterns of different microbial taxa. We found strong deterministic processes dominating microeukaryotic succession on glass slides and PFUs biofilms. Depending on substrate and the presence and absence of relic DNA sequences, contrasting community assembly mechanisms were observed. In the presence of relic DNA, our results showed that 0.53–3.15 % of dispersal limitation, and 13.16 % of homogeneous selection processes were overestimated, while 1.06–3.68 % of homogenizing dispersal, 2.11–10.53 % of undominated and 2.10–10.52 % of heterogeneous selection processes were underestimated. This study provides significant insights into the value of removing relic DNA when designing DNA-based studies to characterize microeukaryotic communities and raise questions about some ecological interpretations in molecular microbial ecology which have not accounted for the effects of relic DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial biodeterioration causes a considerable loss of authenticity and aesthetic value of historical relics worldwide. However, we know very little about the ecology of the environmental microbiomes of these fragile ecosystems, impeding their long-term conservation. Towards an essential understanding, we explored the highly interactive triangle among community assembly process, composition and biodeterioration functional potentials of dominant epilithic bacteria community in a 1060-year stone relics-the Two Mausoleums of the Southern Tang Dynasty in China. Microbial assembly processes were evaluated using statistical null models and then associated with taxonomic and biodeterioration functional diversities along successional chronosequences. Results showed that stochasticity was a persistent force structuring the assembly of the epilithic bacterial community, creating a succession characterized with diverse heterotrophic colonizers but with reduced prevalence of Cyanobacteria. Along with the succession, potential functional diversity significantly increased, which may in turn induce severe biodeterioration to historical relics. To benefit reservation management, we speculate that it is critical for a scheme to interfere with the ongoing stochasticity. In total, a systematic perspective linking community assembly, taxonomic and functional compositions is key to understanding ecological mechanisms underlying microbial biodeterioration of cultural relics and supporting preventive conservation for future generations. [Display omitted] • Lights-induced epilithic microbiomes are widespread on walls of two historical mausoleums exposed to lights. • Assembly processes along successions of epilithic bacteria community were evaluated using ecological null models. • Stochasticity governs temporal patterns of epilithic bacteria community. • Increased stochasticity leads to diverse taxonomic and functional potentials. • Ecological understanding of biodeterioration is key for cultural relics' long-term conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]