Conservation techniques

Artefact conservation includes both interventive and preventive practices. Interventive treatment includes mechanical, chemical or electrochemical processes to stabilise an object. Preventive conservation concentrates on minimising the damage to artefacts associated with environmental, storage and display conditions as well as handling practices.

Why do we conserve objects? Artefact conservation assists to preserve material objects for perpetuity, enabling them to be safely studied, displayed or stored without promoting further deterioration and loss of associated information.

Different types of objects require different conservation techniques. Here we outline the different types of interventive conservation treatments used for maritime archaeological materials.