For statues, stress injuries come from standing in place for hundreds of years. Using a novel technique, researchers have now developed a way to predict such fracturing, applying the procedure to Michelangelo’s David in an analysis that proved simpler, faster and more accurate than previous methods.
In applying the technique to other objects — including human bones — the researchers are also gaining new perspective on how these structures are likely to fail.
More information can be found at the National Science Foundation website.
Archaeozoology 