Measurement of Sorption Isotherms to Guide Mixed Display of Archaeological Iron, Bone, and Glass

Description

David Thickett, Antanas Mėlinis, and Bhavesh Shah measure how archaeological iron, bone, and glass respond to humidity, to guide displaying them together. Museum cases often mix materials whose safe humidity ranges clash. Iron rusts through a damaging mineral that grows fast above certain humidity levels, glass can decay at both damp and dry extremes, and bone's response was barely known.

Using vapor sorption, acoustic listening, and oxygen tests, the team tracked each material across humidity swings. The harmful iron mineral surged above thirty percent relative humidity, matching current guidance. Bone soaked up notable moisture and showed a steep change below twenty-five percent on drying, suggesting a safe threshold. Glass fluctuated most between sixty and ninety-five percent. The results support finer, material-aware rules for mixed displays.

Catalog record

Source: https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC11643339