SALT DAMAGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:  A THERMODYNAMIC APPROACH FROM THE NORTHERN ROMAN THEATER IN JERASH, JORDAN

Authors

Jerash, Environmental Conditions, Salt Damage, The Northern Theatre, Temperature, Relative Humidity, Soluble salt content and Thermodynamic Approach

The salt damage is one of the main decay features in archaeological sites and monuments. The Northern

Theater of the Roman archaeological site of Jerash in Jordan is facing considerably this decay agent. The cur

rent study is a comprehensive evaluation of the main environmental conditions within the case study area

with a detailed assessment of the soluble salt content at varied periods on the theater. The study extended to

evaluate the relation between salts content and salt distribution with the main recorded environmental con

ditions. The current research fieldwork observation and data collection has shown that wind speed had a

major role in salt crystallisation and distribution in porous building materials, and thereby in the ultimately

stone decay rates. The study has also demonstrated the importance of using thermodynamic calculation in

evaluation the salt distribution and behavior as major action in stating the preventive conservation measures

in archaeological sites and monuments.