Object Biography and Biomolecular Archaeology. An integrated approach for the study, conservation and valorisation of organic artefacts from the Museo di Antichità (Musei Reali Torino)

Biomolecular archaeology is increasingly employed to elucidate the biological origin of organic artefacts, which offer valuable insights into human-environment interactions, notably regarding the raw materials selection for object manufacture. This approach also facilitates a broader spectrum of interpretations concerning cultural heritage (CH) preserved within museum collections. The ‘object biography’ framework proves valuable for cataloguing and managing cultural heritage, encapsulating available information about artefacts. Scientific techniques, including mass spectrometry for ancient protein analysis (the thesis’ primary analytical method), contribute to a dual objective: determining the raw material of the object (its ‘first life’) and assessing its current state of conservation (‘second life’), e.g. by identifying the presence and condition of consolidant glues. Proteins, as well-preserved biomolecules in CH objects, which are amenable to non-invasive or minimally invasive museum-compatible sampling, are central to this study. This doctoral project applies biomolecular methodologies to the characterisation of biological artefacts belonging to the archaeological collections of the Turin Antiquities Museum (Musei Reali di Torino). By examining diverse scales of human experience and selected case studies, we aim to acquire significant archaeological information regarding past relationships between humans and the Piedmontese environment. Given the collection’s heterogeneity, this research is grounded in the concept of object biography, exploring three illustrative case studies: individual dolphin-shaped fibulae (micro-scale), a substantial assemblage of osseous objects from distinct sites sharing a common archaeological culture (mid-scale), namely Longobard osseous material culture, and the comprehensive biological materials (human and animal bone, biomolecules embedded in potsherds) from the Neolithic Chiomonte-La Maddalena site, entirely housed within the MRT storerooms (macro-scale). Contemporary perspectives on cultural heritage increasingly challenge traditional anthropocentric frameworks, a shift that is also reflected in emerging approaches to museum display and interpretation. The imperative for periodic re-evaluation of artefacts not only informs the core conservation mission of museums but also prompts broader reflections on the role and treatment of collections. The key outcomes of this research include the establishment of a biomolecular baseline for future studies on osseous materials from the Musei Reali di Torino (MRT) collections, the identification of clear evidence of undocumented historical restoration interventions, and the development of a methodological framework for addressing archaeological collections from the 1980s—now considered legacy collections.