Materiality, authenticity and value in the historic environment: a study of the effects of material transformation and scientific intervention

人们普遍认为，历史环境提供了丰富文化的源泉，并提高了人们的生活质量和福祉。然而，它也经历了物质转化、衰变和更新的循环，这些循环体现了与之相关的意义和价值。事实上，这些变化有助于体验真实性。腐烂是岁月的有形标志，日常风化和磨损产生的铜绿提供了一种跨越世代的联系感。与此同时，负责为子孙后代保护历史环境的组织对腐烂和退化的过程进行评估和控制。这项工作大部分依赖于科学方法和技术，这些方法和技术是为保护历史环境而开发的。然而，通过干预来改变转变和衰退的过程，这些技术可以对历史建筑的结构产生强大的影响。在这个项目中，我们运用艺术和人文的方法，包括访谈和参与观察的形式，来探讨历史建筑的老化和衰败所带来的价值。我们调查如何决定保护的材料是由这些价值观和相关的想法的真实性。我们还探讨了如何以科学为基础的干预措施改变这些意义和价值观，并对“真实的”和“真实的”的看法的影响。我们的合作伙伴包括苏格兰国家信托基金会和苏格兰历史博物馆，这些组织参与保护和管理苏格兰一些最重要的历史遗迹。它们提供的案例研究涉及目前正在积极保护的特定历史建筑物或纪念碑。这为我们提供了一个机会，研究他们使用的基于科学的技术如何既告知，又被告知，文化价值观和真实性的想法。我们的项目汇集了来自人文和科学的研究人员在跨学科的合作。我们还与欧洲研究项目（HEROMAT）的领导人合作，这使我们能够研究科学保护方法的最新发展所带来的价值。这项研究将有利于广泛的学术研究人员和专业人士参与保护历史环境。研究结果旨在为未来的保护政策和实践提供信息，确保以文化敏感的方式使用基于科学的技术来保护历史环境。

It is widely recognized that the historic environment provides a source of cultural enrichment, and enhances people's quality of life and well-being. However, it also undergoes cycles of material transformation, of decay and renewal, which inform the meanings and values associated with it. Indeed, these changes contribute to the experience of authenticity. Decay acts as a tangible mark of age, and the patina produced by everyday weathering and wear provides a sense of connection across generations. At the same time processes of decay and degradation are assessed and arrested by organisations charged with conserving the historic environment for future generations. Much of this work relies on scientific methods and techniques, which have been developed for use in conserving the historic environment. However, by intervening to modify processes of transformation and decay, these techniques can have a powerful impact on the fabric of historic buildings. They can alter their appearance and introduce new materials, as well as affect the cultural meanings and values attached to them by various groups of people.In this project we use methods from the arts and humanities, including interviews and forms of participant observation, to examine the kinds of value attached to deterioration and decay in historic buildings. We investigate how decisions about the conservation of materials are informed by these values and related ideas of authenticity. We also explore how science-based interventions alter these meanings and values, and impact on perceptions of 'the real' and the 'authentic'. Our partners include the National Trust for Scotland and Historic Scotland, organisations that are involved in conserving and managing some of Scotland's most important historic sites. They provide case studies involving particular historic buildings or monuments that are currently the subject of active conservation. This provides us with the opportunity to study how the science-based techniques they use both inform, and are informed by, cultural values and ideas of authenticity.Our project brings together researchers from the humanities and the sciences in a cross-disciplinary collaboration. We are also in partnership with the leaders of a European research project (HEROMAT), which allows us to study the values attached to the latest developments in scientific conservation methods. The research will be of benefit to a wide range of academic researchers and professionals involved in conserving the historic environment. The results are intended to inform future conservation policy and practice, ensuring that science-based techniques are used in a culturally sensitive way in conserving the historic environment.