Conservation Note 1 - Starting Out.
Note 1 | Note 2 | Note 3 | Note 4 | Note 5 | Note 6 | Further reading
Figure 1: Detecting over ploughed land
Are you prepared?
- Before you start out, it's a good idea to create a system for numbering your finds, and recording the find-spot.
- Keep anything you find safe by having the right bags, markers, and other materials with you
- Know how to recognise an important archaeological find and, when you do, what action to take and when to ask for help.
- Sometimes scraps of metal which look like rubbish are actually fragments of important archaeological objects!
- Have a look at the Treasure Act so you are familiar with the law on Treasure
- You might want to keep the contact details for your local PAS Finds Liaison Officer handy in order to report your finds.
Figure 2: A dry box
Found metals? Dry them out*
- Most metal objects benefit from a dry environment. Take the finds you want indoors and leave them to dry out unwashed on a tray lined with white kitchen roll. Avoid putting finds directly on the radiator as this might dry them out too quickly and cause them to crack.
- Have you thought about using a 'DRY BOX'? Contact your local Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) to see an example. They will also be able to show you how to maintain a desiccated environment and halt corrosion.
Figure 3: X-Ray of inlaid knife.
Remember your ABC: take Advice Before Cleaning
- Most things you will find need no treatment other than dry storage.
- Conservation isnt just about cleaning and caring for your objects, it is about looking after your records of find-spots and other data as well.
- You may easily reduce the value of a find by conserving it yourself. Make sure your find is not an important archaeological object first before cleaning it.
- If you are unsure about what you have found your local Finds Liaison Officer (FLO) will be able to help identify it for you.
Finding out more
- The FLO may occasionally ask an archaeological conservator to make an X-ray image of your find in order to see through the layers of soil and corrosion, or examine it under a microscope. This could help identify the object and the materials used to make it.
- Hidden decoration, organic remains (e.g. textiles, leather, and wood) and manufacturing techniques may also be revealed.
- You may even find out something about the life of the object such as use, wear, damage and repair
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