During July 2026, Dr Judit Molera, coordinator of the MECAMAT research group at the University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), undertook a research stay at the Center for Historic Architecture and Design at the University of Delaware, working with Dr Chandra L. Reedy, a leading specialist in the petrographic study of archaeological and cultural heritage materials.

The stay provided an opportunity to advance the petrographic characterization of archaeological ceramics and casting cores from bronze sculptures, as well as to explore quantitative image-analysis methodologies applied to thin sections. This work is closely aligned with MECAMAT’s research on the characterization of archaeological materials and the reconstruction of past technological processes through their microstructure.

The collaboration with Chandra Reedy also opened new opportunities for the systematic documentation and quantitative analysis of thin sections, particularly for characterizing mineral phases, inclusions and microstructural features in ceramic and casting materials.

One of the important outcomes of the stay was the transfer to MECAMAT of a PathScan Enable 5 Meyer system, an instrument designed for the automated scanning of thin sections under polarized light. The system allows high-resolution digital images to be acquired across the entire surface of a thin section, facilitating detailed documentation, image analysis and quantitative characterization of petrographic features.

The incorporation of PathScan represents an important enhancement of MECAMAT’s analytical capabilities. The system will enable the group to move towards more systematic and quantitative thin-section analysis and will facilitate the study and comparison of large numbers of samples. This will be particularly valuable for research on archaeological ceramics, building materials and other cultural heritage materials.

The research stay in Delaware therefore strengthened MECAMAT’s international collaborations while providing access to new methodologies and equipment that will contribute to advancing the study of archaeological materials and the technological processes behind their production.