A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF MOSAIC REBURIALS IN TUNISIA

Abstract

The reburial of mosaics has been advocated as a method for the protection and preservation of mosaics for decades, but there is little published about the results of mosaic reburial over time, and it is still carried out in only a limited fashion in many Mediterranean countries. A survey of reburied mosaics in Tunisia has been carried out to learn from the different examples and materials and techniques used recently. Due to the lack of sufficiently detailed pre-reburial documentation, it was difficult to draw conclusions about the change of mosaic condition over time, yet there was no evidence of reburials worsening the condition of mosaics. The survey indicated that the long-term reburial of mosaics relaid on reinforced concrete should be avoided, as should the use of most separation membranes in contact with the mosaic. Weed root growth into the mosaic is the largest threat to reburied mosaics, but the choice of fill materials and their depth can limit such growth, as will the careful removal of soil and roots from the mosaic surface and its surroundings, and the use of stabilization treatments before reburial.