How Chemists Investigate Cultural Heritage: A Look at the Science and Ethics

Thursday, October 23, 2025 4:00 pm PDT – 5:30 pm PDT UCLA William Andrews Clark Memorial Library & via Livestream 2520 Cimarron Street, Los Angeles, CA 90018 Third Annual Spotlight Talk by Thiago Sevilhano Puglieri, Assistant Professor of Technical Art History, Conservation Science, and Indigenous Cultural Heritage, UCLA Department of Art History This talk will explore how and why chemists investigate cultural heritage, examining the diverse ethical considerations that arise with different types of cultural items. The session will also feature an in-person demonstration of chemical analysis of objects from the Clark collection. We will begin by exploring objects from the Clark Library to discuss common analytical questions, processes, and ethics in conservation and heritage science. The discussion will then shift to the investigation of Indigenous items, highlighting other questions, processes, and unique ethical considerations these items demand. The lecture will conclude with a hands-on session where participants can observe the analysis of objects from the Clark collection. This will provide an opportunity to better understand some of the practices and ask specific questions about this fascinating interdisciplinary field. Thiago Puglieri’s teaching and research are located at the intersections of art history, chemistry, and conservation. His interests are in technical art history and conservation science, focusing on Indigenous cultural heritage from the Americas. His projects delve into the historical and cultural aspects while also exploring scientific and technological advancements within Indigenous cultures. The investigations involve archival research, chemical characterizations, and engagement with Indigenous communities through community-engaged research. Puglieri teaches and supervises students at the UCLA Department of Art History and the UCLA/Getty Interdepartmental Program in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage. Puglieri was a scholar at the Getty Research Institute (GRI, 2024–2025), visiting researcher at the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI, 2019–2020), member of the international advisory committee of the project “An International Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science” from NICAS (Netherlands Institute for Conservation, Art, and Science), vice president of ANTECIPA (National Association of Research in Heritage Science and Technology, Brazil), and coordinator of the division “Investigation of Materials, Systems, and Techniques” of the “Technical Commission for Cultural Heritage” of ABENDI (Brazilian Association of Non-Destructive Testing and Inspection). Prior to joining the Department of Art History at UCLA, he was a professor at the Department of Museology, Conservation, and Restoration of the Federal University of Pelotas (Brazil, 2015–2022), where he was teaching and advising students in the Graduate Program of Social Memory and Cultural Heritage.