학술논문

The Monumental UNESCO Site of Panamá Viejo: Investigation of the Masonry Mortars
Document Type
article
Source
Heritage, Vol 5, Iss 36, Pp 646-663 (2022)
Subject
mortars
plasters
central America heritage
Spanish colonial architecture
world heritage
Archaeology
CC1-960
Language
English
ISSN
2571-9408
Abstract
The presented study illustrates the characterisation of several artificial materials (bedding, joint mortars, and plasters) belonging to the masonries of the UNESCO site of Panamá Viejo, located in Panama City (Panama). This monumental site represents the first Spanish settlement on the Pacific Coast, founded 500 years ago, in 1519. Through mineralogical and petrographic analyses of the collected samples, as stereomicroscope and polarized light microscopy (PLM) observations of bulk and thin sections, respectively, environmental scanning electron microscopy and micro-chemical investigations (ESEM-EDX) and X-Ray Powder diffraction (XRPD) analysis, it was possible to identify the composition of the materials utilized for the production of mortars and plasters, in addition to the determination of their state of conservation. Therefore, this work represents a substantial step for the preservation of the Panamá Viejo site, in order to support the selection of the most suitable restoration products, such as consolidants, protectives, etc., but also for choosing the most compatible materials for possible replacements/integrations in the masonries.