The importance of archaeometric investigations in terms of contribution to the conservation process of historical textiles: Archaeometric analysis of textiles with metal threads belongs to Ottoman period in the Topkapı Palace Museum

Various historical textiles and materials used in their production, which are an invaluable part of the cultural material heritage, bear witness to the social past. It is known that although initially a textile object was produced out of necessity, it later became a symbol of magnificence, power, and might. The most important of the basic elements contributing to these features are the gold and silver metallic threads. In addition to the aging behavior due to their organic structure, textile objects accelerate their deterioration due to different factors such as use, environmental factors, mismanagement, faulty conservation and restoration interventions, improper storage and display conditions, etc. Thanks to the archaeometry methods and techniques used today, the characterization of the materials used in textile objects, material production methods, and even deterioration products can be detected. In our research, a total of 19 textile objects dated between the 15th -19th centuries in the Sultan's Clothes Section of the Topkapı Palace Museum were examined. It was aimed to document the palace fabrics including metal thread, to determine the material technology and the diversity of the materials used, to determine the identities and production methods of the textile objects, to detect the deterioration products that occurred over time. An optical microscope for determination of technical characteristics (weaving technique, yarn twist direction, warp/weft density) and preliminary investigation; HPLC-DAD for dyestuff analysis; SEM-EDX to determine the core yarn type, general morphology, chemical composition of the strip in the metallic yarn and corrosion products in the metal thread were used. In addition, color measurement was made from the colored areas on the textile objects by CIEL*a*b* spectrophotometer. Thanks to the analyzes performed, the textile objects examined were documented, appropriate conservation and restoration methods were determined, and it was possible to reach a healthy and correct decision on the selection of materials to be used in restoration processes. In addition, the examination of Ottoman palace fabrics belonging to different periods will pave the way for the formation of a database could be made.