9.2: Curation - Storage and Preservation of a Collection


Stored artefacts (Detecting and Collecting)
Responsible collection is about stewardship of the objects and the information associated with them.

The responsible storage of an archaeological collection requires sufficient space for the material and the associated hard copies of the documentation where they are safe from hazards such as fire, flood etc. The collection should be in one location, not scattered. At all times the collector should act as though the next day they were going to walk out of the house and be hit by a bus, would the state in which the collection is at all times allow a third party to retrieve the information in it?

All objects should be kept in a separate container (such as an individual box or bag) and be accompanied by a label bearing the details of the findspot and the collection catalogue number.

Environment
Every owner of an archaeological collection, whatever its size, has a duty to care for it. Appropriate action should be taken to maintain the collections in a stable condition. The responsible collector must ensure that all finds are stored in appropriate environmental conditions (relative humidity, temperature and light), and that those conditions are appropriately monitored and controlled. Finds should be inspected at least annually, with spot checks on individual items. Sensitive finds must be checked at least bi-annually.  The collector's budget should make appropriate provisions for the costs of remedial and preventive conservation. Objects must be protected from physical shock, the possibility of accidental damage and vibration. Objects must, where appropriate, be kept separate from each other to prevent abrasion and contamination. Sudden or extreme fluctuations in relative humidity and temperature must be avoided. Objects must be isolated from sources of direct heat, including the heat-producing components of lighting installations. Packing and support materials must be inert and must not affect the object in any way. The higher the temperature, the faster chemical and biological change progresses. For this reason, the temperature should be kept as low as possible in unoccupied areas, though this should not be such as to cause the relative humidity to rise above the recommended levels.There are guidelines in publications on the best levels of various parameters for different materials in specific conditions. All collectors with archaeological collections should ensure access to the advice of a trained and experienced archaeological curator.

Preservation
To prevent transfer of skin greases and chlorides (etc.), all objects must be handled wearing clean white cotton or polyvinyl surgical gloves; if that is impracticable, hands must be washed and dried before and after handling objects

Finds should not be cleaned without prior consultation with the appropriate specialist (conservator, environmentalist, bone specialist, etc), otherwise valuable evidence could be lost or deterioration encouraged.

Any objects that are conserved should have systematic and detailed documentation of the treatment they have undergone as well as details of all investigative cleaning and remedial conservation treatment, including where appropriate relevant drawings, scaled photographs, and X-rays. These should be treated as part of the documentation of the collection

The handling and movement of objects must be kept to an absolute minimum

Advice on the storage of archaeological material is given in Walker 1990, see also  


Text in part adapted from 'Standards in the Museum Care of Archaeological Collections', 1992 where more details can be found.

Bibliography:

Cronyn, J.M. The Elements of Archaeological Conservation. London, UK: Routledge, 1990.

 Charlotte Newton and Clifford Cook 2018, 'Caring for archaeological collections' part of CCI's Preventive conservation guidelines for collections online resource.

National Park Service 2001, Appendix I: Curatorial Care of Archeological Objects  In NPS Museum Handbook, Part I: Museum Collections. Washington, D.C.: National Park Service, 2001.

Pye, E. "Conservation and Storage: Archaeological Materials." In J.M.A. Thompson, ed., Manual of Curatorship: A Guide to Museum Practice. 2nd ed. Oxford, UK: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1992.

Rimmer, M., D. Thickett, D. Watkinson and H. Ganiaris. Guidelines for the Storage and Display of Archaeological Metalwork Swindon, UK: English Heritage, 2013.

Walker Kirsten  1990, 'Guidelines for the preparation of excavation archives for long-term storage',  United Kingdom Institute for Conservation Archaeology.

Watkinson, D., and V. Neal. First Aid for Finds, 3rd ed. London, UK: RESCUE – The British Archaeological Trust and United Kingdom Institute for Conservation, Archaeology Section, 1998.


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