Archaeology and Conservation: From the Field to the Museum by Jessica Walthew
How are archaeological materials preserved once they are excavated?
This talk will summarize the role of conservation in fieldwork and in museums. While preservation is our first concern, conservators share archaeological methods of examination, documentation, and technical investigation used to understand evidence of manufacture, use, and changes from deposition. In addition, conservators may also carry out cleaning and restoration to aid in interpretation. Conservators can be great interdisciplinary collaborators for archaeologists in the field, and in academic, and museum settings. The introduction of new analytical capabilities (and particularly imaging techniques) to the conservator's toolkit has greatly expanded the role of conservators in the analysis and preservation of archaeological materials.