CuTAWAY – Conservation And Wood AnalYses

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Markus Egg; Dr. Ingrid Stelzner
• Subject Area: Prehistory and World Archaeology
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 416877131

Wood is one of the key materials for archaeological research. The wooden genus used, the function of the object, and information concerning the environment can be gained from the analysis of wooden objects. In addition, precise dating is possible by dendrochronology. Therefore, the conservation of archaeological wooden objects mainly preserved as wet finds is of great importance. A plethora of methods and conserving agents are currently applied to conserve archaeological wet wood. In order to compare the treatments, different methods have been applied on about 800 archaeological wooden samples during a project that had been organized by the Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseum in Mainz (RGZM) and funded by KUR (Kulturstiftung des Bundes). For the first time, this collection will be analysed to quantify the result of the conservation treatment (shrinkage, collapse and cracks) and the impact of the conservation method on the analyses of archaeological wood (wood anatomy and dendrochronology). These analyses will be carried out by non-destructive, three dimensional methods, like 3D-Scan und computed tomography and microscopic techniques (Raman microscopy, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy). Additionally, the analyses of the samples aims at the optimisation of the analysis and conservation methods to ensure documentation of the characteristic features of wood anatomy after conservation. Thereby, the penetration of the conservation material and the effectiveness of the method will be analysed in detail to draw conclusions about the success of the conservation treatment. The long-term stability will be analysed and evaluated by simulated aging tests on conserved wooden samples. The results will be documented in the KUR database with open access, and, however, will guarantee that archaeological wooden artefacts can be better studied and conserved for future generations. To answer this diverse set of questions from multiple scientific disciplines, a binational team of conservation scientists (Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste, SABK, and Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz, RGZM) and experts in X-ray computed tomography instrumentation and volumetric image analysis and reconstruction techniques (Hochschule Luzern, HSLU) collaborates in this project. The complementary fields of the partners’ expertise cover all aspects required and, thereby, maximise the synergetic effects in the framework of the proposed D-A-CH project.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Partner Organisation: Schweizerischer Nationalfonds (SNF)
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Philipp Schütz