Towards a diagnostic protocol for the study of monumental terracruda sculpture

This presentation was prepared for TECHNART 2025 – International Conference on Analytical Techniques for Heritage Studies and Conservation, held in Perugia, Italy (6–9 May 2025). The scope of the presentation was to share with the scientific community the results of a broad multidisciplinary research project dedicated to the technological study of monumental terracruda (air-dried clay) sculpture. By integrating diagnostic campaigns carried out on selected sculptures from Central Asia and Afghanistan with evidence derived from ancient texts and ethnographic studies, the project explores the complex manufacturing technologies underlying these multi-material artefacts and lays the basis for the development of a diagnostic protocol to characterise this type of sculpture.