Current Approaches, Solutions and Practices in Conservation of Cultural Heritage
Detection and Diagnosis in the Conservation of Cultural Properties
Yaşar Selçuk ŞenerInterventions in the field of conservation are more similar to the field of medicine, as the treatment is decided in accordance with the patient. As in medicine, every cultural property in the field of conservation that needs intervention should be treated according to its current state. In interventions to be made to a work or monument in a conservation area, the aim is either to determine the existing risks and to prevent problems (maintenance and preventive conservation), or to eliminate the problem (active conservation and restoration). For this reason, research and examinations are done first that enable one to recognize the artifact or monument, determine its construction and material properties, and gain complete knowledge of the types of problems or deteriorations, as well as the factors or sources that are the cause. Evaluations are made according to the determinations, and then the diagnosis obtained. The experienced methods are reviewed, and then the most accurate treatment is determined. The experiences gained in the field of the conservation of cultural assets, together with technological developments, have enabled problems and solutions to be determined more easily. However, deficiencies and faulty restoration practices still necessitate a reexamination of the process to be followed in the protection, repair, and work phases. This study discusses the stages of detection and diagnosis in the conservation of cultural property, from first contact with an artifact to the treatment process, and thus questions how to create a resource for similar research that will be carried out by conservation professionals.
