10349
Accession Number
33617
Title Of Article Chaper
Stabilization methods for textiles from wet sites
Title Of Journal Book
Journal of field archaeology
Volume
22
Issue
1
Pages
81-95
Reference Bibliography
34 bibliog. refs.
ISSN
0093-4690
Language Of Text
English
Language Of Summary
English
Literature Type
Serial
Literature Level
Analytic
Abstract
Compared with artifacts of a more durable nature, the survival of textile objects in moist archaeological conditions is uncommon. Textile materials become degraded during prolonged burial and are already fragile and weakened when excavated. Methods of cleaning, consolidating, and drying textiles from wet terrestrial sites in temperate climates were investigated for this study. Methods considered were: 1) no treatment, 2) aqueous cleaning, 3) aqueous cleaning with a surfactant, 4) lubricant treatment, 5) consolidant treatment, and 6) solvent treatment. Both air- and freeze-drying were utilized. Using two undyed wool fabrics that had been buried in representative southern New England soil, these stabilization methods were tested to determine which were the most suitable for treating the wool textiles. The treatments were evaluated by testing shrinkage, stiffness, and fabric strength, and microscopic examination of the treated samples. Stiffness test results were statistically analyzed. None of the treatments was found to cause further fiber degradation in the treated samples. While the surfactant cleaning resulted in the highest degree of soil removal, fabrics were weakened by the mechanical action of the treatment. All of the wet treatments left redeposited soil embedded within the fiber and yarn structure of the samples. Regardless of treatment the air-dried samples were stiffer and experienced more overall shrinkage than their freeze-dried counterparts. Studies investigating alternative means of soil removal and appropriate methods of freeze-drying wet archaeological textiles are recommended for further research. -- AATA
Keywords
archaeological objects; drying; stabilizing; USA (New England); wet sites; wool -- AATA
pub_id
10349