The history of the development and application of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDXMA) in studies of cultural heritage sites is considered. In fact, investigations based on these methods began when electron microscopes became a commercial product. Currently, these methods, being developed and improved, help solve many historical enigmas. To date, electron microscopy combined with microanalysis makes it possible to investigate any object, from parchment and wooden articles to pigments, tools, and objects of art. Studies by these methods have revealed that some articles were made by ancient masters using ancient “nanotechnologies”; hence, their comprehensive analysis calls for the latest achievements in the corresponding instrumental methods and sample preparation techniques.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)873-885
Number of pages13
JournalCrystallography Reports
Volume61
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Nov 2016

    Scopus subject areas

  • Chemistry(all)
  • Materials Science(all)
  • Condensed Matter Physics

ID: 88202845