Often the perspective of heritage science can seem opaque, with the perception of science being only for “scientists”. The fairly recent move to using the term “heritage science” is better known in Europe, but there is some confusion as to what this term encompasses. Heritage science refers to any of the multidisciplinary fields that contribute to the discovery, security, and preservation of a diverse range of cultural heritage materials. Many heritage collection items are complex multi-composites with convoluted preservation needs and degradation pathways. One of the areas that seems to be less well understood and appreciated is the capacity for heritage science to add new layers of knowledge to collection items, as well as the capacity for re-interpretation through this new information. Further areas of heritage science that support humanities include confirming provenance, the ability to link and reconnect separated collections, and the utilization of new technology to provide levels of security, an area of support greatly needed in the current environment for extensive trafficking of heritage.