ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Open shelters are tent-like covers constructed over archaeological sites. Their purpose is to protect the ruins and avoid deterioration. However, they also could affect visitors’ experience and interpretation. A scientific assessment to quantify the mitigation effects of shelters and determine the extent of their performance is necessary in order to consider them as an effective solution for conservation purposes, and offset any aesthetic concerns. This paper shows some preliminary results of the effect of a light-weight open shelter on the decay of limestone remains at the Bishop’s Palace in Witney (Oxfordshire, England). Four sets of four replicates of Chalk, Cotswold and Portland limestones were placed within the core and periphery of the shelter, as well as outside. Over a year, the change in stone properties was monitored and deterioration rates and processes were quantified and compared. In addition, small and easy-to-hide data loggers, both inside and outside the shelter, recorded data on the environmental conditions considered to be key factors in the decay of stone remains over the same year.
