CRL Treatment Methods

The content posted here was originally intended for students enrolled in the conservation classes offered by the Nautical Archaeology Program, or to supplement tours at the CRL; others may download and use these resources, but we ask that proper credit is given.

Following the instructions provided in these resources does not guarantee satisfactory results. Additionally, conservation can be a long process and may have high starting expenses. We advise consulting with or hiring a professional conservator before proceeding with any conservation procedure. The CRL accepts contracts for collections of a range of types and sizes, but if we are not a good fit for your collection, AIC maintains a list of professional conservators: https://www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/find-a-conservator.

Conservation Manual

The Conservation Manual is a compilation of the theories and practices utilized by the conservators at the CRL. It has been available online since the Spring of 1998, and has been continuously updated to reflect innovations and trends in conservation science. The emphasis of this manual is the conservation of material from underwater sites, especially marine sites, but the conservation of material from terrestrial sites is also discussed.

The proper citation for the Conservation Manual is:

Donny L. Hamilton. “Methods of Conserving Underwater Archaeological Material Culture,” Nautical Archaeology Program, 1998, Texas A&M University, https://nautarch.tamu.edu/. Date of Access.

Conservation Posters

These posters were originally created to supplement tours at the CRL, and discuss some of the common documentation methods and treatments we use at the lab.