Corrosion, Concretion and Conservation
All Archaeology requires patience. But after my recent tour of The St. Augustine Lighthouse Archaeological and Maritime Program's (LAMP) Conservation Lab, I now believe that conservationists may require more of it!
Joining the St. Augustine Archival Society, I received a "behind the scenes" tour of LAMP's Conservation Lab. The maritime archaeologists specializing in conservation (along with college students and volunteers) work to study and preserve St. Augustine's underwater past. If you're looking for instantaneous reward, then you've come to wrong place! The preservation process in the lab often takes years.
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| Pistol from the Storm Wreck in final stages of conservation |
The conservation process involves several stages, the first being that of X-Ray analysis. What might look like a lumpy rock to the common eye is an artifact to the underwater archaeologist.
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| concreted pad lock sits in a tub adjacent to its x-ray image |
When an object is under water for an extended period of time, it typically has severe corrosion which forms into a concretion. One shipwreck can produce hundreds of these concretions. X-Ray analysis reveals what's inside of the mass. It could be one large item (like a cannon ball) or multiple items (like hundreds of nails bundled together). The information provided by the x-rays helps the conservationist prioritize which artifacts will be preserved and which will be returned to the site for future scientific research.I could not see the padlock revealed in this x-ray image but I was assured by one of LAMP's conservators that it was it there!
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| x-ray image of padlock concretion |
The ideal condition for underwater preservation is deep, dark, and cold water. The waters off of St. Augustine's coast are just the opposite of that! So anything that survives for hundreds years in our less than ideal conditions should be considered saving.
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| Copper pots excavated from Storm Wreck |
Other stages of preservation involve meticulous physical cleaning and chemical treatment.
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| Viles containing artifacts in various stages of treatment |
To learn more about LAMP's conservation lab's current projects click here. Or go check out their new lab yourself! It's located on the property of St. Augustine's Lighthouse and Maritime Museum.
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| LAMP's Conservation Lab on the property of St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum |
Photos and Text by FPAN Staff: Robbie Boggs