Investigation of the Effects of Re-burial on Artefacts Made of Organic Materials Other than Wood (Textile, Leather, Antler, Horn and Bone)
Institution
Vitenskapsmuseum, The Norwegian University of Science and Technology
(NTNU) NO-7491 Trondheim, NORWAY.
Co-ordinator
Dr. Elizabeth E. Peacock, elizabeth.peacock@vm.ntnu.no
Aim
The aim of this sub-project is to investigate interactions between the
marine burial environment and selected organic materials that are found
preserved in marine archaeological environments. The marine sediment environment
of the harbour at Marstrand will provide the field laboratory in which
to carry out this research. Degradation pathways of both recovered marine
archaeological artefacts of textile, leather and bone, and modern materials
will be studied. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of
re-burial on the more sensitive organic materials that make up the marine
archaeological record such that recommendations can be made for or against
the use of similar environments for long-term storage of artefacts made
of these materials.
Methodology
Materials selected for inclusion in this sub-project comprise the more
sensitive organic materials commonly represented in the marine archaeological
record. Samples will be drawn from both recovered marine archaeological
artefacts made of textile, leather and bone, as well as modern materials
of vegetable-tanned leather, undyed wool fabric, dyed and undyed silk
fabric, hemp rope, cotton netting, antler, horn and bovine bone (metapodials).
For the modern materials, dyestuffs, tanning agents and pre-treatments
of experimental materials will be kept as close to those used in antiquity
or historical times as practically possible. The leather, wool and bone
already form the basis for similar studies of other, different, burial
environments. Eight sets of samples will be prepared; seven will be deposited
for later retrieval over the 50-year project period. One set of samples,
both archaeological and modern, will be maintained in darkness at constant
temperature and relative humidity in the climate-controlled museum stores
at Vitenskapsmuseum.
Analysis
Experimental samples will be documented prior to reburial and following
retrieval The modern materials will also be compared with results obtained
in similar burial studies carried out in terrestrial environments. Documentation
will consist of: photography, loss of material (weight), scanning electron
microscopy (SEM, SEM-BEI, and SEM-EDS) of both surface and interior morphology,
and thermal analysis (leather). In addition, samples of the recovered
material will be made available to other researchers investigating other
aspects related to the preservation or degradation in burial environments
of these organic materials. In this manner, the range of possible information
this experimental material can contribute to the research community will
be even greater.
Work
in progress and
results 2004