The ratio of weight to volume has been determined for ironwork from four archaeological sites. It is shown how this ratio can be used to determine the presence or absence of metallic iron in a corroded artifact. Experiments show that totally mineralized ironwork generally contains much less chloride than does ironwork retaining a metallic core. Accelerated corrosion experiments show that totally mineralized ironwork is not subject to a physical deterioration seen on objects retaining a metallic core. Therefore it is suggested that the ratio of weight to volume can be used to predict the stability of ironwork following excavation. Costs of storage can be reduced since fewer environmental controls are necessary. Some aqueous chloride extraction methods were examined to determine if the weight to volume ratio influenced their efficiency, but results were inconclusive.