Multidisciplinary Research of Bricks From Serbian Medieval Buildings

Abstract

Within the tendency for digitization and study of heritage, it is relevant to point out to past projects that contributed to the same goals, but with technological means available at that time. During the 1980's and 1990's, by the approach of experts in various fields to the study of bricks of Serbian monumental medieval buildings, an integral study was obtained that includes history of brick use from ancient states to medieval Serbia, and results on composition, structure and properties of bricks from particular Serbian medieval buildings, as well as technology of their production. The project was realized within the Interdepartmental Committee for Multidiscipli-nary Study of Monuments of Medieval Culture of Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, with Center for Multidisciplinary Studies of the University of Belgrade as the basis for research on materials. The thoroughness and comprehensiveness of the research brought to the publication of photo-documentation of the studied locations as part of the published project results. The photographs taken during the project offer us the opportunity to compare the then state of the studied sites, unique in time, with their current state. The former photo-documentation and the current tendency to digitize the archeological heritage optimized for re-use, provide the possibility of future chronological monitoring of the degradation and restoration of the site. A review of previous multidisciplinary projects that studied cultural heritage such as the study of medieval bricks, can serve as an insight into the possibilities offered by connecting natural and technical sciences with archeology, heritology and history of art, but also in future planning of similar projects.