Mediterranean Atlas

A brief chapter constitutes the first part of Mediterranean Atlas where are briefly described the most significant results achieved in the framework of the EFESTUS project work packages devoted to the conservation materials and methods. This knowledge combined with the identification of the degradation agents and mechanisms could be useful for identifying the "best conservation practice" which should lead to a significant reduction in the probability of further degradation phenomena of Cu-based archaeological artifacts and should ensure them a long-life, a sustainable management for their best valorization. The main results achieved from the micro-chemical and micro-structural investigation of the selected artifacts constitutes the second section of the Atlas. The results are summarized in 65 data sheets for Cu-based archaeological artifacts from Mediterranean basin (Egypt, Jordan, Italy, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey) and 8 data sheets for widely different Mediterranean archaeological areas of Jordan, Italy, Spain and Turkey where the selected objects have been found. The data sheets describe the nature of the corrosion products, the chemical composition and the metallurgical features of the selected objects as well as give a practical basic guide for describing typical common and rare corrosion phenomena of the artifacts as functions of the chemical composition of the alloys, their micro chemical structure and the environmental-burial conditions. Finally, the data sheets for the archaeological areas give a brief description of the context as well as of the soil features and the key chemical-physical parameters. The data sheets have been also used for building the English-Arabic web site (to be completed) whose address is: www.efestus.just.edu.jo.