EBSD for analysis of materials in cultural heritage

Electron Backscatter Diffraction is a technique that has become relatively common in the materials science characterization all around the world. However, its application to the analysis of archaeological and historical art objects is still relatively recent. This paper shows three different examples on the use of EBSD proposed as a new tool helpful to deepen the knowledge of this kind of materials. The first example show the use of EBSD to characterize the raw materials and phases originating during the production of coloured glassy mosaic materials. The second is the analysis of crystallographic texture in bronze fibulae to infer their manufacturing process. In the third example EBSD is applied to the study of reaction phases unexpectedly found in the concrete from a historical monument.