Organic Materials from Wet Archaeological Sites: The Conservation of Waterlogged Wood

Abstract

In this article attention is devoted to methods for conserva- tion of organic materials from wet archaeological sites, with specific reference to waterlogged wood. The range of organic materials which can be expected on wet sites is discussed, and three conservation methods for wood, i.e. controlled drying, the use of sugars as a bulking material and polyethylene glycol or PEG, are described. These conservation methods have been selected as being the best to apply in South Africa. The necessity to conserve water- logged wood has until recently hardly been acknowledged locally. With the introduction of maritime archaeology and the growing realization of the importance of the archaeological potential under the water surface, together with the ongoing recovery of many waterlogged organic remains during salvage operations, it has become a matter of urgency to establish an infrastructure to deal with the conservation of these materials.