The data derived from archaeological excavations have to be studied in depth. Similarly, many of the artifacts recovered require conservation treatments if they are to be preserved and eventually exhibited. When objects are buried in the ground or submerged in water, they gradually undergo certain changes and become acclimatized to their new environment. When archaeologists work on a site, they upset this fragile equilibrium, leading to renewed deterioration of the objects. Organic materials such as wood, leather or bone need conservation treatments as soon as they are removed from the ground or water. Other so-called inorganic materials, such as metal and ceramics, also require special on-site treatment. As objects are recovered, conservators, in collaboration with archaeologists, start documenting those considered most important, perform emergency treatments on the most fragile specimens and ensure that appropriate follow-up treatment is provided.
The Conservator's Job
The word "conservator" may conjure up images of a person poring over a magnifying glass in a laboratory for hours and weeks on end in an effort to repair rare or precious objects and to more fully understand our history. Although this perception is not wrong, it is incomplete. To obtain a better idea of what conservators do, let's look at the situation at Anse aux Bouleaux.
Day after day, the archaeologists collected a large number of objects made of various materials, all of which provided clues to understanding the site. Even very small fragments were considered important, given that a single piece of glass might be essential to re-assembling a bottle, to establishing its shape, use, origin and age, and thus to learning more about the shipwreck. All objects had to be carefully preserved.
The main problem was that the objects had spent over 300 years in a fairly stable environment. Even though tides, ice and storms had affected the shipwreck and the artifacts associated with it, the temperature and water quality (salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen content, etc.) had remained constant. Although the objects had been subjected to a great deal of stress when the ship was wrecked, they had gradually become "acclimatized" to their new environment and reached a physical and chemical equilibrium with it. When the archaeologists began to work on the site, they upset this equilibrium. Therefore, when they removed the artifacts from the water, they made sure they were kept wet, properly supported and packaged. When the objects arrived at the field laboratory, they were handed over to the members of the conservation team, who examined each one, documented it briefly, packaged it and rinsed it to begin removing the salt. The conservators were responsible for ensuring that the artifacts survived the transition from a marine environment to the Centre de conservation du Québec, where they would receive various treatments and be studied in greater depth.
The shipwreck contained many objects, each of which posed specific treatment problems. Some were more problematic than others because they were made of several different materials, usually a combination of organic and inorganic materials (e.g. wood and metal). Since treatments for inorganic materials are often incompatible with those for organic ones, artifacts made of both require special attention. A treatment proposal was drawn up for each item that needed specific conservation work.
