Systematic long-term measurements for evaluating time degradation (QGIS, BIM/HBIM); High-resolution 3d models; Mapping of archaeological sites; Interactive online/offline 3D models, artistic 2D/3D renders, online/offline virtual tours, 3D prints.

IPCE is the institution of the Spanish Ministry of Culture, committed to the research, conservation, restoration and documentation of Spanish Cultural Heritage.

The uranium-series dating methods are based on the measurement of the activity of uranium and its daughter nuclides. Provided several naturally occurring materials containing uranium can suffer geochemically processed that cause isotopic and elemental fractionation and thus radioactive disequilibrium, it is possible to determine the date of the original process by measuring the extent to which the radioactive chain system is in its radioactive equilibrium state. Some of the most suitable materials to be dated by U-Series are carbonate-based items such as speleothems, tufa, caliche. Biological materials (coral, fossils may be also dated). The ages derived from the analysis range from several centuries to 500 thousand years ago. This group of dating methods involve spectrometric techniques. Mass spectrometry provides de most accurate and precise dates and minimizes the sample amount requirements to milligram level or below. The core of our laboratory is a state of the art Multicollector Mass Spectrometer MC ICP-MS for isotope ratio measurements. Additionally, the elemental occurrence of other elements and their isotope distribution (i.e. strontium) in the material contributes to an enhanced understanding of the items under study. For that purpose, our facility is equipped with a high-resolution ICP-MS and an optical emission ICP-OES. All instruments can be coupled to a laser ablation system for microanalysis or high spatial resolution dating and determinations

Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) dating is radiation exposure (trapped charge) dating method based on the evaluation of the effects of natural radioactivity on different materials (quartz, feldspars, silex, teeth, speleothems...) over time. Minerals exposed to ionizing radiations (gamma and cosmic rays, alpha and beta particles) emitted from radioactive isotopes (U, Th, K) in the sample and its surroundings act as natural dosimeters. This process induces movements within the electronic structure of minerals causing some electrical charges to be trapped in the crystal defects of the mineral, forming an entity known as the paramagnetic centre. These centres give rise to a specific ESR signal whose intensity is directly proportional to the number of trapped charges, i.e. the amount of radiation absorbed by the mineral (Equivalent Dose, DE). A numerical age can be calculated from the estimation of the DE and the average dose absorbed (D) by the mineral in one year generated by the already-mentioned radioactive elements. In the case of D is constant over time, the ESR age (T) is calculated by the following equation: T= DE/D. DE expressed in Gray (Gy) and D expressed in µGy/a or Gy/ka. For ESR dating of quartz, a prerequisite is the existence of a resetting mechanism in nature to zero the ESR signal (bleaching) and thus the geological clock. The Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) laboratory is mainly devoted to dating geological and/or archaeological materials such as tooth enamel or optically bleached quartz grains extracted from sediment. Occasionally, it also carries out work in dosimetry and characterization of modern or old geo-materials.

Paleomagnetism is the study of the terrestrial magnetic field recorded by rocks at the time of their formation or during relevant geological processes that took place afterwards (e.g. metamorphism). It is based on three basic assumptions: 1) Axial geocentric dipole: The Earth’s magnetic field is on average dominated by an axial dipole parallel to the rotational axis of the Earth. 2) Record of the magnetic field: Ferromagnetic minerals in rocks and sediments can record the past Earth’s magnetic field. 3) Unchanged record over time: The magnetization acquired by a rock or sediment at the time of formation remains unchanged over time. The Paleomagnetism Laboratory focuses on magnetic stratigraphy (polarity reversals of the Earth’s magnetic field), rock magnetism, and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility in various sedimentary environments.

Micro and Nano-Computed Tomography is based on the interaction between the radiation and the material (according to the Beer–Lambert law). In other words, the radiation transmitted is the information captured by a detection system in image form (radiography). In this manner, a "slice" of material within a solid can be described, based on the different images taken at various different angles. During the tomographic reconstruction process, the main objective is to reconstruct an object that is considered as a 2D distribution of some type of function μ(x,y), which represents the attenuation coefficient of the object in question. The reconstruction of the object is obtained by resolving a mathematical problem, generally implemented in several packages of software. This reconstruction process makes it possible to easily obtain a volumetric representation of the object, enabling the study and evaluation of different parameters thereof (for example: dispersion of particles, detection of defects, density profiles, etc.). It can therefore be stated that micro-computed tomography is an x-ray image technique that makes it possible to scan, explore and model samples in 3D. Thus, it is a NON-destructive technique, the basic principle of which is the virtual reconstruction of the sections of an object based on images (radiographies) that have been acquired over 360º. The Micro CT analysis could be completed from a physico-chemical point of view using a range of techniques to enhance the recording and interpretation of arqueological objects including information about the creation, use, modification and burial of objects. These accesory techniques for image adquisition and for multielemental analysis include Optical Microscopy, Confocal Laser and Electron Microscopy, Raman microscopy, FTIR, X-Ray Diffraction (XDR) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XFR).

Identification of dyes and pigments based on their fluorescence spectral features is combined with the spatial distribution of each different material on the whole investigated surface.

The fluorescence decay lifetimes can be exploited for distinguishing fluorescing materials in the occurrence of fluorophores with similar emission spectra.

UV-VIS-NIR fluorescence spectroscopy is a non-invasive technique suitable for the identification of different organic and inorganic materials (pigments and dyes) in artworks.

Organic residue analysis is used to study organic materials deposited on archaeological artefacts during their use.