Conservation’s primary purpose is the preservation of materials of cultural and natural value, so that they are available for future study and enjoyment. At Ceren, the particular circumstances of burial have enabled an unusually complete body of material evidence to survive, providing an exceptional resource for research and ultimately for public edification. Yet many of the materials – e.g., the earthen architecture and items of organic origin – are inherently vulnerable, and neither fare well over the short term in tropical conditions not survive long-term burial without significant deterioration. Ash inundation conferred some protection in this case, but their exposure by excavation puts these materials once again at risk. As a result, conservation has been of necessity an integral part of the archaeological process at Ceren since the inception of the project.