Lecture: A to X: Antinous, the Alamo, and X-Ray Fluorescence by Michelle Bushey, PhD

Trinity University research teams have applied modern chemical technologies to local cultural heritage investigations. These include the Roman marble portrait of Antinous at SAMA, and the now faded frescoes of the Alamo. Portable XRF or X-Ray fluorescence spectroscopy, is an easy to use and easy to understand tool. XRF indicates which chemical elements are present on a surface. With this method, we have determined that the portrait of Antinous once had gilded features,and the Alamo sacristy was once heavily decorated with frescoes and copper leaf.