A rare Roman antique at the PIXE platform!
© 2024 EPFL
The PIXE platform has recently been contacted by the "Site et Musée romains d'Avenches" to perform a micro-CT measurement of an archaeological piece from their collection : a Roman Authepsa.
The copper object was discovered in 1910 on the Avenches site, with a first restoration carried out in 1912. One or two further restorations were done between 1960 and 1980, but these jobs were scarcely documented, and it has since been discovered that the object was erroneously restored. The aim of the micro-CT scans carried out at EPFL is to try and differentiate the original from the reconstructed parts.
A student in conservation-restoration at the HE-Arc in Neuchâtel will analyze the reconstructed 3D volume of the object as part of her Masters thesis. She will identify and locate the parts which have been added during the various restoration attempts, and thus gain a better understanding of this object. A detailed plan will be devised for the removal of the falsly reconstructed parts and recovery of the original authepsa. Ultimately, she will submit a proposal for a more faithful restoration of this rare piece from ancient Roman times.
