Page 51 - TVH 2000 Anniversary Shipwreck Project

Passive Holding of Finds Holding facilities were prepared in order to provide conditions to inhibit further physical, biological or chemical deterioration of the artefacts. Following registration, documentation and photography, all finds were stored for transport to the conservation facility at the Stedelijk Museum in Vlissingen. Under the direction of the conservator Ton van der Horst, intervention was kept to a minimum and the storage medium chosen was based on material type. Cleaning was reduced to what was required for identification, measuring and photography and undertaken with a soft bristle brush. Any artefact with a residue which was presumed to be organic in nature, whether on the outside surface (paint, textile) or on the inside (packaging, organic contents) was not washed, but heat sealed within polythene or sealed within a strong zip polythene bag. • All metals, ceramics and stone were stored in saltwater • Wood, leather, bone or horn was sealed in polythene within a limited amount of seawater • Textile and organic material was not re-immersed, but kept damp and sealed The storage areas were located about the vessel in numbered tanks, all were within darkened areas and the large seawater tank was insulated. Where support was required, small containers with saturated foam were utilized. - 45 -