Application of technology in relic conservation

E7 My Son Tower had its roof painted with a layer of otter oil after restoration in 2015, but the effect was only short-lived. Photo: VINH LOC

Tower protection technology

The My Son heritage site has more than 70 architectural works, most of which are in disrepair. In recent years, in addition to conservation and restoration work, the protection of the brick walls of the towers has always been a focus.

In the past 10 years alone, a series of tests on protecting the surface of towers and outdoor sandstone architectural artifacts with otter oil have been continuously carried out by a team of domestic and international experts and staff, but the results have not yet met the requirements. After a short time, mold, lichen, moss, and algae have reappeared on the surface of brick and stone materials.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet - Director of My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board shared that if the restoration of temple and tower structures must closely follow the original elements and comply with traditional methods, the preservation and protection of artifacts and architectural materials must apply appropriate and sustainable technology.

At My Son, among more than 1,800 sandstone, ceramic, and terracotta artifacts being preserved, in addition to being displayed at the My Son Museum and stored in warehouses, more than 700 artifacts are being displayed outdoors (including 31 steles), which poses challenges because the environmental conditions in the My Son valley are quite harsh.

For example, some artifacts mounted on the walls of towers D1 and D2 have shown signs of moisture, mold, and surface decay, with the risk of making the carvings unrecognizable.

The steps of Nam Chien Dan tower were restored using the traditional method of using otter oil. Photo: VINH LOC

According to Dr. Ha Thi Suong - Quang Nam Monuments and Museum Management Board, currently in the world, many technologies have been applied to preserve artifacts and protect materials and surfaces of monuments.

For example, the GuardIndustry Group (France) uses a product called Antimoss' Guard to help protect the original state and appearance of relics. At the same time, this substance also helps the surface of relics and artifacts to have the ability to self-clean, not stick, prolong the life of the material, and resist all harmful environmental agents.

In addition, nanotechnology and 3D scanning can also be applied to protect artifacts and relic materials. In particular, although nanotechnology is quite expensive and relatively new in Vietnam, initial results from testing on some Champa temple brick samples are quite good, especially for important artifacts such as stone stele inscriptions...

Technology cannot be separated from the preservation of artifacts and relics.

After the merger, Da Nang City became a locality with many Cham relics and ruins (estimated at more than 100 points). In addition to the world cultural heritage My Son or the nationals Khuong My, Chien Dan, Bang An, most relics of the remaining are ruins or archaeological ruins such as Dong Duong Buddhist Institute, Go Vua, Trien Tranh, Cam Mit, An Son, Qua Giang, Xuan Duong, Phong Le...

Sandstone architectural artifacts are often damaged by mold if there is no effective technological solution to protect them. Photo: VINH LOC

Dr. Pham Van Trieu - Institute of Archeology (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences ) admits that these are challenging because most archaeological ruins are made of brick and stone, which are easily weathered, cracked and attacked by microorganisms (fungi, mold, etc.). Therefore, the preservation of archaeological artifacts must be specifically analyzed indoors or outdoors to have solutions for protection and preservation.

"The preservation of these materials should be approached from two directions: from the relics and from the artifacts. However, no matter which direction, there are certain difficulties, especially in investing in equipment, supplies, chemicals, etc. Preserving and conserving brick and stone materials is also the preservation of relics and artifacts of the archaeological industry, but currently in Vietnam it has only stopped at the basic treatment level" - Dr. Pham Van Trieu shared.

According to Architect Dang Khanh Ngoc - Director of the Institute for Monuments Conservation (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), monument conservation is considered a specialized scientific field, different from ordinary basic construction.

Therefore, outlining directions and determining appropriate conservation solutions based on fundamental theories and circumstances is extremely important to ensure correctness and effectiveness; prevent and limit factors that destroy relics without changing the original elements and authentic values of the relics before the impacts of the natural environment, including the social environment.

"Advanced scientific research achievements in the world in preserving materials are increasingly being widely applied such as chemical, physical, biological relic methods... bringing outstanding efficiency. In particular, the trend of preserving relic materials by chemical methods is one of the methods being researched and applied in Vietnam, initially showing positive signs of efficiency, meeting strict requirements on preserving integrity and ensuring increased sustainability for relics" - Architect Dang Khanh Ngoc informed.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/ung-dung-cong-nghe-bao-ton-di-tich-3265100.html