About the stone spheres in Drake Bay and other places in Costa Rica. La Nacion today reports: Andrea Solano B. ansolano@nacion The solid stone spheres that were manufactured about 1,500 years ago can not withstand damage caused by environmental agents and human action. A team of restorers and archeologists from the National Museum is conducting tests with a series of products that could be used-both in the restoration of several of these areas located in the archaeological sites of the canton of Osa, in Puntarenas. As explained by the chief of the Department of protection of the World Heritage Cultural of the Museum national, Marlin Calvo, products were brought from Italy on the recommendation of conservator Emiliano Antonelli. In August 2012, Antonelli visited several archaeological sites for a diagnosis of their state for the conservation of spheres along with the national museum specialists. 34 spheres were analysed, eight are in a critical condition and require urgent intervention, 22 are in poor condition and only 4are in good condition. "Samples of river stones with the same features of the spheres were collected and applied to different products", explained restuaradora Ana Eduarte. According to Eduarte, adhesives are used to join fragments of stone and is a resin epoxy, the consolidating serves to restore the structural stability of objects, i.e. a "tie" of stucco like paste is used to hide the cracks in the surface. Also a biocide will be tested. It is a product that has the function of inhibiting the growth of microorganisms (bacteria, lichen and fungi) on the surface of the stone, which looks like a black scab. "Two groups of stones for a test to apply products were taken. A group was placed underground and another will be left above to check the reactions of different products ", explained the restorer. After a year, there will be a comparative analysis of the effects that each product had on each of the stones. For his part, Calvo explained that experiments in situ are necessary: "these products have been used successfully in process of restoration in Italy, but you have to try it in Osa, where there are conditions of climatic extremes such as very high temperatures and frequent downpours." It is also necessary to take into account factors such as the characteristics of the soil and the same stone". ■
Posted on: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 23:15:41 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015