This virtual seminar will introduce igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and their suitability as building materials in a wide range of settings from Medieval churches to Victorian lighthouses. Case studies will examine the ways in which geological properties influence the suitability of stone for various purposes and provide a toolkit for the description of rock types used as stone. Resources and practical knowledge which can help conservators and architectural historians identify these materials in architectural and archaeological settings are also discussed.
Ruth Siddall is a post doctoral Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin. She studied geology at the University of Birmingham and has a PhD in Geology and Earth Sciences from UCL, London where was also a lecturer in the Earth Sciences department.
Her work on archaeological plasters, mortars and concretes led to her interest in the mineralogy and chemistry of pigments. She is one of the four authors of The Pigment Compendium (2004).