Harnessing Nuclear Techniques to Preserve and Study Cultural Heritage

A workshop entitled “Harnessing Nuclear Techniques to Preserve and Study the Characteristics of Cultural Heritage” was held in Saudi Arabia, highlighting the role of nuclear analytical techniques in the study, characterization, authentication and preservation of cultural heritage.

The workshop was conducted by experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as part of the ARASIA regional project “Combatting Illicit Trafficking of Art and Archaeological Artefacts by Authentication using Nuclear Analytical Techniques.”

The sessions explored techniques including Particle-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), which provide valuable information on the elemental composition and characteristics of heritage materials while enabling non-destructive or minimally invasive examination of valuable artefacts.

The sessions were chaired by Dr. Saad Alshehri and featured contributions from Meshari Alqahtani, Assaad Seif, Mohamad Roumie, Mosfir Alqahtani, and Abdulrahman Alshihri.

Hosted and organized by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in collaboration with the Heritage Commission of Saudi Arabia, the workshop provided a platform for knowledge exchange and technical discussions on the use of nuclear science for cultural heritage protection.

The activity contributes to the objectives of the ARASIA project by supporting regional capacity building, knowledge exchange and the use of nuclear analytical techniques for the authentication of art and archaeological artefacts, helping to combat illicit trafficking and safeguard cultural heritage.