Geomaterials and Cultural Heritage

Dear Colleagues,

Materials of mineral origin have always been exploited by humanity to meet its technological, cultural and artistic needs. The study of geo-materials is, therefore, fundamental to trace the evolution of geo-resource exploitation, trade routes and manufacturing techniques across the centuries.

This Special Issue focuses on the interconnection between geomaterials (including ceramics, stones, metals, gemstones, mineral pigments, glasses, etc.) and cultural heritage, with specific attention to the study of museum collections. Contributions from Earth Sciences, Heritage Science, Materials Science, Museum Studies and related disciplines are invited to advance our knowledge and conservation practices.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Analytical characterization of geomaterials of archaeological, artistic or naturalistic value to acquire information on manufacturing techniques, provenance of raw materials and authenticity;
• Study of the exploitation of mineral deposits in the pre-industrial world;
• Characterization and conservation of geomaterials in museum collections;
• Innovative techniques and methodologies for studying geomaterials of cultural interest;
• Study of degradation processes and sustainable and eco-friendly conservation approaches.

We invite researchers to contribute to this Special Issue, which we hope will foster a deeper understanding of the materials that shape our heritage and promote sustainable practices to preserve them for future generations.

Dr. Marco Benvenuti
Dr. Rosarosa Manca
Dr. Lucilla Fabrizi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• geomaterials
• cultural heritage
• conservation
• museums
• earth sciences
• heritage science
• archaeometry
• materials science
• environmental science
• natural history museums
• sustainability

Title: Knowing and understanding the value of the collection of stone materials at the Regional Museum of Natural Sciences of Turin under both scientific and museological perspective

Authors: Massimiliano Senesi; Emanuele Costa 

Abstract: Among the lithological collections at the Museum of Natural Science of Turin, particularly noteworthy is the display of a collection of natural stone materials, both raw and in slabs with various processes (polished, honed, split, etc.), from all over the world, but with the main objective of representing the best materials, of Italian or foreign origin, sold on the Italian market. Alongside this is a series of examples of "extinct" rocks, materials whose quarries have been exhausted or abandoned for some time. On the basis of a collaboration developed for over twenty years, the entire collection is available for consultation with the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Turin for the mineralogical and petrographic characterization of stone materials. A scientific study has been recently carried out on the 'Onyx Marbles and Alabasters' collection of the Museum of Mineralogy and Petrography of the University of Turin. The collection consists of 69 stone slabs, representing a comprehensive sampling of 'onyx marbles' and calcareous alabaster, from quarries active in several continents, investigated on the basis of a minero-petrographic and geochemical characterisation. They are of crucial importance as materials currently used in the cultural heritage field.