Innovation in the expertise of cultural heritage materials in the south Mediterranean region

Mustapha HADDAD¹ | Saadia AIT LYAZIDI¹ | Lahcen BEJJIT¹ | Mohamed EL AMRAOUI¹ | Fouad BENYAICH¹ | Mohammed HNACH¹ | Rachid BENSLIMANE² | Abdelouahed BEN-NCER³ | Moussa BOUNAKHLA⁴
(¹LASMAR, URAC11, Faculté des Sciences, Université Moulay Ismail, Zitoune, Meknès | ² LTTI, EST, Laboratoire de transmission et de traitement de l’information LTTI – Ecole Supérieure de Technologie, Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abadellah, Fès | ³ INSAP, Ministère de la Culture, Institut National des Sciences de l’Archéologie et du Patrimoine ,Rabat | ⁴ CNESTEN, Centre National de l’Energie, des Sciences et des Techniques Nucléaires, Kénitra, Morocco)

Implementation of the Moroccan mobile laboratory MOLAB for on-site and non-destructive analyses

Abstract:
In Morocco, the most frequently stated problems during restoration works of cultural heritage, are issues relating to physicochemical characteristics of ancient materials and their geographical origins, the compatibility of the new restorative ones with these original materials in addition to the ancient production techniques and their chronology. Furthermore, there are questions about the impact of air pollution and human activity on cultural heritage materials. Using scientific and innovative analytical techniques provides answers to these raised issues.
The MOLAB – Morocco program consists in the establishment of a mobile laboratory, combining elementary and molecular/structural techniques, for on-site and non-destructive scientific analyses of cultural heritage materials and artworks. This structure constitutes the first innovative platform created in the south Mediterranean region. It is organized around two main activities: i) on-site and non destructive physicochemical analyses of architectural heritage and mobile heritage materials (buildings, ceramics, manuscripts, tapestries, metals, ancient military objects and others) in order to provide professionals with the necessary scientific data promoting the search of solutions required for conservation and restoration more respectful of artworks, their history and their environments; ii) “CIM” (identity card of the monument) concept consisting in the development of scientific documentation guidelines in harmonization with European and Mediterranean standards. The goal is the creation of an historic, scientific, geographic, cadastral, artistic and politic complete database for each monument. In addition to improving restoration processes, these databases must lead to a good international visibility of historic sites for cultural tourism.
The MOLAB program, which is financed by the Moroccan Ministry of high education and scientific research, is gathering Scientifics, craftsmen, historians and art historians. Its main objective is the establishment of effective measures to stimulate the cooperation between all of these operators and cultural institutions in view to implement identified and integrated solutions to save many threatened cultural heritage artworks. These solutions benefit to tourism and craft sectors that generate employments and incomes.

Keywords: cultural heritage, restoration works, physicochemical characteristics of ancient materials, MOLAB – Morocco program