Temporary solidifying extraction and in-situ preservation of fragile marine wooden artifacts: Experimental study and pilot test

Abstract

Previous studies have found that the temporary consolidant veratraldehyde, which is denser than water, can be used for solidifying and extracting fragile submerged artifacts. However, whether veratraldehyde can be effectively used for in-situ artifact extraction in marine archaeology requires further study. Here, we systematically discuss the effects of seawater salinity, water temperature, and hydrostatic pressure on the veratraldehyde solidification rate, as well as the development of a double-layer insulating bottle that can prevent molten veratraldehyde from solidifying within an hour, the construction of a stainless steel mesh fence, in-situ packaging materials for fragile submerged artifacts, and the veratraldehyde recycling method. Further, the marine environment was simulated and “ Nanhai I ” shipwreck remnants were used as fragile marine artifacts in a pilot test on in-situ extraction.