For the chemistry of cultural heritage (Part III - For surface chemistry of archaeological gold and silver)

Monuments of cultural heritage reach today in a modified or somewhat transformed form. From the creation of the cultural heritage monument to the present, the process of its internal and surface changes is called natural "aging". The intensity of the "aging" process of the cultural heritage exhibit depends on both the properties of the historical material and external natural factors (temperature and humidity changes, wind and water erosion, light effects), as well as the instability of the environmental conditions (air composition, vibration phenomena). The purpose of studying the processes on the surface of the cultural heritage exhibit is to slow down and stop the "aging" process in the historical material. From this point of view, it is important to examine the chemistry of the surface of archaeological gold and silver, thus preserving both the appearance of the monument and the material from which the exhibit is made because changing the old one means losing the historical significance of the technical features of the sample to be processed, the manufacturing technology embedded in the stone, and the individuality.