IAEA Helps Arab Nations Use Nuclear Science to Authenticate and Protect Ancient Relics

Through equipment, expert missions and practical training, the IAEA is supporting institutions in Jordan and Syria to examine cultural objects and collect comparable scientific data.

A fragile statue or a fragment of pottery can carry evidence of how people lived thousands of years ago, but protecting that history depends partly on knowing whether an object is authentic and where it came from. An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) project report describes how nuclear and related analytical techniques are helping countries in the Arab region investigate these questions and strengthen the protection of archaeological artefacts.

Through equipment, expert missions and practical training, the IAEA is supporting institutions in Jordan and Syria to examine cultural objects and collect comparable scientific data. The work will contribute to a regional database that can help specialists assess provenance, distinguish genuine artefacts from forgeries and support investigations into stolen, looted or illegally traded cultural property.

Building a Shared Record of Cultural Heritage

A useful regional database needs information that researchers in different countries can compare with confidence. The IAEA technical cooperation programme is helping countries participating in ARASIA harmonize the collection and categorization of data, allowing national records to feed into a shared regional resource.

Jordan is analysing an initial group of 100 samples using the agreed methodologies, and Syria is characterizing ceramic artefacts. Each database entry combines scientific findings with historical information about an object's provenance, bringing laboratory evidence and archaeological context together.

These records can help countries compare objects and support investigations involving cultural property, including suspected cross-border trafficking. Their usefulness depends on consistent measurements and meaningful documentation.

IAEA Nuclear Instrumentation Physicist Giuliana Aquilanti described the project as a practical example of nuclear science contributing to cultural heritage protection, with regional exchanges of expertise strengthening national capabilities and supporting a common approach to authentication.

Examining Ancient Statues Without Damaging Them

Two IAEA expert missions in June and July 2026 gave Syrian and Jordanian scientists hands-on training in non-destructive testing. In Jordan, the work included examining the Neolithic Ain Ghazal statues using X-ray fluorescence, commonly known as XRF.

Made from plaster and reeds and estimated to be approximately 9,000 years old, the statues are among the world's oldest human figures. Studying such fragile objects calls for methods that preserve their physical integrity.

XRF identifies the elements present at an object's surface and, depending on the material, within its near-surface layers. This information can contribute to authentication and provenance studies by giving researchers evidence about the materials used to make an artefact. The technique described in the report measures elemental composition; it does not itself establish the statues' age.

The examination of the Ain Ghazal figures also broadens the project's range beyond ceramics, helping researchers build experience with different types of cultural objects.

Portable Equipment Makes Analysis More Accessible

Experts from Lebanon trained scientists in Jordan and Syria to use portable, handheld XRF instruments supplied by the IAEA. Equipment that can be brought to an object is particularly useful when a fragile, valuable or difficult-to-move artefact cannot readily travel to a laboratory.

Mohamad Roumie of the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission highlighted the method's speed, portability and non-destructive nature as key advantages for cultural heritage work.

Training covered sample preparation, measurement procedures, quality assurance and interpretation of results. Participants calibrated the new instruments using certified reference materials, an essential step in producing accurate measurements that can be compared across institutions.

Reliable analysis requires more than access to a device. Researchers need consistent procedures and the skills to understand what a measurement reveals, especially when their findings will become part of a shared database used by specialists in other countries.

Connecting Laboratory Evidence With Archaeological Knowledge

The project brings nuclear scientists together with archaeologists, conservators, museum professionals and other national institutions to select objects for analysis and develop useful records.

Technical lectures, awareness sessions and practical demonstrations introduced stakeholders to the potential of rapid, non-destructive characterization. In Damascus, Lebanese experts presented case studies and practical applications showing how elemental analysis can support the examination of cultural heritage objects. Scientists also met staff from Jordan's Directorate of Antiquities and toured its new storage facilities.

Assaad Seif of the Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission stressed the need for sustained cooperation across these professions, particularly when choosing representative, scientifically meaningful samples and creating relevant databases.

An elemental measurement becomes more useful when specialists can connect it with an object's materials, history and archaeological context. By developing these connections across institutions and borders, the project is giving countries a stronger scientific foundation for authenticating artefacts and protecting the cultural history they preserve.