9 - Conservation of waterlogged wood

Abstract

This chapter discusses conservation of waterlogged wood. Christensen defined conservation, in the context of waterlogged wood, to mean stabilization of the size and shape of objects. Conservation should also give durability to the material composing objects. Treatments for waterlogged wood should be designed to alleviate the specific problems from which the wood suffers. In practice, the most successful treatment processes draw from each of the above techniques and are tailored for the particular kind of wood. Attempts to preserve archaeological waterlogged wood began in Denmark in the middle of the nineteenth century. Between 1900 and 1950 it seems that few if any technical improvements were made in treatments of waterlogged wood. It was a period of stagnation. In Denmark, Rosenburg continued an unsuccessful 50-year struggle with the alum method, finally adopting the mixture: four parts by weight alum, one part by weight glycerol, one part by weight water.