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A versatile spectrochemical technique enabling nearly instant, multi-element analysis of materials, LIBS is increasingly employed in studies of archaeological and historical objects, monuments and works of art. The development of several mobile LIBS instruments opens a lot more possibilities for analytical campaigns on site: at museums, conservation laboratories and even outdoors at excavation sites or historical monuments. The basic concepts underlying the use of LIBS in the context of cultural heritage studies are briefly reviewed along with technical and instrumentation aspects. Selected examples of analytical studies are discussed with emphasis on cases that demonstrate the use of mobile LIBS instruments.

The exploration of Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) for the analysis of organic material found in paintings is investigated. Protein-based materials have often been included as binding media and an understanding of their origin and behaviour is critical for conservation. Traditionally-used methods for protein analysis can provide specific information regarding composition of even complex mixtures of very small samples; however, protein analysis often requires sampling. The analysis of protein-based painting materials using LIF which is both non-invasive and nondestructive is possible due to intrinsic fluorophores found in proteins and provides clear advantages for the analysis of cultural heritage

The analysis of archaeological objects was carried out using LMntI (el-em-ent-one), a new Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument. The main components and layout of the instrument are briefly described. Indicative results from the analysis of a wide variety of archaeological findings are presented.

The application of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) in the identification of pigments, used in paintings, is outlined. Selected examples from the analysis of pigments in model samples and in painted artworks are given. A spectroscopic database including the analytical spectroscopic information has been developed and used to assist in pigment analysis.