New Directions in Education for Marine Archaeological Conservators

Archived Content

Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page.

CCI Newsletter, No. 28, December 2001

New Directions in Education for Marine Archaeological Conservators

by David Grattan, Manager, Conservation Processes and Materials Research Division

In September 2000, a new diploma course in Marine Archaeological Conservation was initiated at the EVTEK Institute of Art and Design in Vantaa, Finland. The course complies with the European Credit Transfer system (it is worth 120 credit points — about half the total required for a basic degree), and is the first international training course of this scope on this topic to be offered anywhere in the world. It marks a significant step in the training of marine archaeological conservators.

This new course is being funded by the Finnish government to promote the conservation of the many well-preserved shipwrecks in the Baltic Sea.¹ The curriculum has been designed to offer a multidisciplinary approach, and includes both theoretical and practical training in marine archaeology, the underwater environment, materials analysis, treatment of underwater finds, and the in situ conservation of shipwrecks. Sixteen students (10 from Finland and one each from Germany, Australia, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, and Serbia) from varied backgrounds are currently enrolled and should receive their diplomas in March 2002.

The course is managed by Heikki Häyhä of the EVTEK Institute and was designed and set up with the assistance of Vasilike Argyropoulos from the Technical Education Institute in Athens, Greece. Experts from around the world are participating in the course delivery, ably assisted by Course Coordinator Christian Degrigny. Two Canadians have served as instructors: in September 2000, Cliff Cook of the Ontario Service Centre of the Parks Canada Agency (who was on a temporary assignment at CCI at the time) gave a section on on-site storage and packing, operating a conservation laboratory, and drying techniques; and in February and March 2001, I gave a section on the treatment of organic archaeological finds.

My session concerned a number of organic materials, but especially wood. It dealt with the biological, physical, and chemical nature of wooden artifacts and also of the materials used to treat them; the issue of degradation; and how treatment interacts with the inherent properties of wood as well as the changes caused by deterioration. A historical overview of treatment methods and a discussion of the science on which these methods are based were also included. The aim was to give a comprehensive understanding of one aspect of material conservation — not just a series of recipes but rather a mixture of philosophy and scientific knowledge.

Participating in this course forced me to think carefully about the meaning of conservation and the way in which it should be taught. It has always struck me that the object of conservation is to convey safely the evidence of the past with as little deterioration and as little cultural influence as possible. To accomplish that objective it is first necessary to have a scientifically based understanding of the nature of the materials that make up the object, and the impact of any intervention. But it is equally important to understand that truthfulness and honesty must always be the underpinning of any treatment. Thus it is important to teach not only the science of conservation but also the ethics.

At present it is uncertain whether or not the Marine Archaeological Conservation course will be repeated, although there are some plans for 2003. However, it has been an invigorating and stimulating experience for everyone involved.

1. Wrecks found in these waters are unusually well-preserved due to the cold climate and the absence of shipworm. One such example is the Vrouw Maria (a Dutch ship that sank in 1771 while carrying art treasures for Catherine the Great) which was discovered in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Finland in 1999.