ARCHAEOLOGICALCONSERVATION ANDFIRST-AID FORFINDS 149
- retaining the potential for future analysis;
- ultimate use (such as display, handling or research,
including potential mounting methods); - packing and storage;
- handling in the event of publicity.
Intervention often results in irreversible changes and,
therefore, professional conservation practice also incor-
porates ethical approaches:
- Minimum intervention: The aim is to use the
least possible intervention required to achieve the
desired result, with minimum long-term effects. - Reversibility of treatment:Chemicals, materials and
treatments used should be reversible in the long term. - Information retrieval:The collection of all informa-
tion related to associated archaeological evidence with
the potential retained for future analysis, wherever
possible. - Documentation:The recording of all methods and
procedures used (important in health and safety and
in the understanding of the long-term behaviour
of materials).
Conservation advice should be sought at the earliest
stages of all projects, as this is likely to help reduce long-
term storage, conservation and analytical costs. Sites
liable to full excavation or those encompassing large
structures or fragile material are likely to require the
presence of an archaeological conservator on site, who
should be included in financial planning at all levels and
allocated a budget well in advance of any work.
All other projects, however, should ideally also have pre-
arranged access to a professionally trained archaeological
conservator. Staff from contracted conservation facilities
may be able to provide help remotely or may be avail-
able to be ‘on-call’ in the event of an emergency. They are
also likely to be able to help with the identification of
materials, which is crucial to the appropriate storage
and treatment of finds, and they should be involved in
planning relating to the following issues:
- Financial planning for storage, analysis, X-
radiography and full conservation treatment of finds. - Lead-in time for the acquisition of necessary sup-
plies and equipment in advance of project work
(projected requirements can sometimes be based,
to some extent, on previous site records and the
nature of extant assemblages). - Details of immediate ‘first-aid’ requirements (e.g.
storage facilities and local amenities such as electricity,
security and the quality of local water supplies). - The design of finds-records, registration and mon-
itoring systems, in advance, to help contribute to
interpretation and to facilitate access and early
treatment.- Approaches to handling, lifting, storage and full
treatment. - The analysis of finds and samples.
- Long-term archival deposition of finds archives,
including display, all of which should be negotiated
prior to any project work.
In terms of costs, large structures may require specific
provisions and housing, and are likely to be considered
‘high-cost’, whereas the ‘first-aid’ and conservation treat-
ment of many small finds assemblages might constitute a
relatively small percentage outlay of overall budget costs
(somewhat dependent on location) when compared with
other potential costs such as dive-boat, equipment main-
tenance and team provisions. All members of project
teams should be fully briefed in advance of work and have
a full understanding of their responsibilities regarding
recovery and recording methods and procedures to be used
on site. It may be helpful to provide instructions in the
form of induction packs and/or to provide talks at the
beginning of projects or for new team members: this will
help standardize recording and recovery methods. At
least one member of a team should be delegated to
receive finds and help with the lifting and acquisition of
heavy or delicate material, in addition to those appointed
to record material and oversee storage arrangements
(‘finds officers’).
The establishment of a fully equipped conservation
laboratory in association with the full excavation of a
specific site may take several years to complete, so it is
always advisable to seek the use of existing archae-
ological conservation facilities for the provision of full
treatment (see the ‘Conservation Register’: http://www.conser-
vationregister.com). Previously contracted archaeological
conservation facilities, either those in the private sector
or associated with museums, are particularly important
in the event of unforeseen finds or potentially damaging
sea conditions. They are likely also to be able to facilitate
the ‘rescue’ of fragile and/or significant finds and structures.Underwater Burial Environments
The way in which objects may be preserved in burial envir-
onments is extremely complex and based on chemical,
physical and biological processes and local conditions. The
factors involved include the following:- the material(s) from which the objects are made;
- method of manufacture (e.g. metal alloys/applied sur-
faces/composite materials); - the history of an object (wear, tear and use);