Archaeological Artefacts

We offer conservation solutions for both excavated and museum archaeological artefacts.

Conservation Services is able to offer treatment to copper alloy, iron and silver, and lead objects, and to composites such as gilt objects, niello, tinned objects, enamel and inlays. We are able to work on wood, leather, textiles, ivory, bone, amber, jet, shale, glass, stone and ceramic items.

All work is accompanied by treatment proposals and reports, please click here for more information.

Archaeological Artefacts in Collections

On display, artefacts will suffer if not placed in controlled environmental conditions with suitable display materials and supportive mounts.

For display materials we offer condition assessments and preventative conservation reports, provide specialised mounts for extremely fragile objects and can advise on display and storage materials and environment. Please see our services page for more information.

Excavated Artefacts

John Newman Archaeology is now available to carry out archaeological works for small scale developments. For more information please contact John via the contact page

Archaeological objects begin to decay as soon as they have been excavated. Their method of drying out will influence their eventual preservation of both metal structure and organics preservation. Much information can be lost if radiography and initial assessment does not begin very soon after excavation. Controlled storage is also imperative if an artefact is to survive.

Metal objects can reveal technological features, maker’s marks, inlays, tinning and gilding through radiography. We use either industrial plates or digital medical x-ray facilities for this purpose, x-rays can also be a long term record of an artefact and can be used for initial identification. Objects are reconstructed and stabilised, sometimes other materials are found when treatment commences, such as early surface treatments and lacquers.

Organic materials found on site and wet and waterlogged materials often need immediate attention and conservation so that evidence can be retained, identified, recorded and preserved.

Organic materials such as wood (small items), leather, textile, can be treated and identified and are often in association with metals and other indicators of burial practice such as insect remains and plant materials. These are recorded using microphotography and mapped for further research.

Materials such as amber, jet, shale and glass and organic materials are often found in damp conditions and through controlled drying and conservation can be preserved.

If you have archaeological materials from excavation or display contact us for more information on how we can help. Click here to contact us.

For excavated materials Conservation Services carries out conservation assessments under English Heritage Guidelines. Work covers the following:

•	Conservation Statements for project designs, methods statements, and schemes of investigation.
•	Preparation of Risk and COSHH assessments
•	Lifting objects on site
•	Radiography: Industrial plate and/or digital radiography
•	Conservation for assessment
•	Photography, microphotography with measurement, and recording
•	Soil Block excavation
•	Preliminary investigation of organics, preparation for specialist examination
•	Assessment and costing for further stages
•	Post assessment conservation, stabilisation, reconstruction
•	Preparation for drawing, packing for transit
•	Preparation for display, mounts for delicate objects, and installation.

Conservation Services treats objects which have been reported under the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS). For more information on this scheme please go to http://www.finds.org.uk.