Heritage science is the application of scientific techniques and technologies to improve our understanding, conservation, management and engagement with cultural heritage. It ensures that heritage assets remain safe to view, display, handle and study, and is therefore critical to the continued economic viability of the heritage sector. Put more simply, heritage science is the use of scientific techniques to answer questions about our cultural heritage.
Its importance and value to the UK is reflected both in the value of the UK’s heritage, which heritage science helps to conserve and enliven, and in the new science that the sector enables. The UK’s heritage contributes £20bn to the economy and supports 240,000 jobs.
Heritage science is uniquely inter-disciplinary, and covers disciplines including:
- archaeology
- conservation
- materials science
- art history
- physics
- robotics
- computer science
Examples of heritage science include:
- the development of sustainable materials to support painting conservation
- the chemical analysis of organic residues on archaeological vessels
- hyperspectral imaging to investigate manuscripts and documents
How UKRI supports heritage science
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) supports heritage science through various programmes and initiatives aimed at advancing the understanding, preservation and promotion of cultural heritage. We:
- provide grants for research projects through our councils, particularly the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
- support collaborative networks that bring together researchers, practitioners and institutions from different disciplines to share knowledge and resources
- invest in state-of-the-art research facilities and infrastructure that are essential for heritage science
- fund training programmes and scholarships to build capacity in the heritage science sector with initiatives such as the doctoral training partnerships and postgraduate research opportunities
- promote public engagement and outreach activities to raise awareness about the importance of heritage science and ensure that research findings reach a wider audience
- collaborate with national and international organisations and building partnerships to share best practice and jointly address global challenges to heritage preservation
Through these mechanisms, we play a pivotal role in fostering a robust and dynamic heritage science sector in the UK, ensuring that cultural heritage is preserved for future generations while also leveraging advanced scientific and technological methodologies.
We support several key facilities and infrastructure projects to strengthen heritage science in the UK that include the conservation of historical artifacts, the use of digital technologies in heritage and the impact of climate change on cultural heritage. Some of these facilities include: