Archaeology of colour – the production of polychromy in sculpture up to the 16th century

Polychrome sculpture has an extremely long production tradition in human history, testified by numbers and abiding production.These cultural objects embody the diverse cultural and material references that shaped their production across different periods and geographies.The production process of such objects involves a complex network of participants who, at the different production phases and among diverse possibilities, are responsible for making a number of choices regarding models, styles, materials and techniques.These choices encapsulate traditions, knowledge transmission, perception of materials, reputation of performances, moments of rupture and innovation, as well as reception and diffusion resulting from societies own history including the multiple cultural encounters.Ultimately, polychrome sculptures are tangible expressions of the cultural identity and diversity of the cultures that produced them.As such, polychrome sculptures are powerful lines of inquiry, providing insights not only into the objects themselves but also into the societies who produced and used them.The archaeological and historical study of these sculptures -through the critical analysis of historical documentation and production processes, the physicochemical analysis of materials and techniques, as well as exercises in archaeological reconstructions -offers the opportunity to investigate and understand polychromy as a technology but also its cultural traditions and social embeddedness.This special issue reunites research papers presented at the international symposium organized within the scope of the Archaeology of Colour project (PTDC/ART-OUT/5992/2020).This project is dedicated to the study of polychromy on medieval and early modern Portuguese sculpture, with a central research aim of achieving a comprehensive understanding of the significance and evolution of polychrome technology used to decorate/finish sculptures in Portugal during this period.Therefore, the project Archaeology of Colour departed from the systematic research of a significant group of polychrome sculptures selected from the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga and the Museu Nacional Machado de Castro, dating from the earliest known Portuguese examples (thirteenth century) still with remnants of polychromy, to those from the period when major changes in the Portuguese history occurred as a result from the new Atlantic explorations (c.