Underwater Archaeology
Naval Heritage and Cultural Command
My start in conservation was at the Navy Yard in Washington DC. The conservation lab there is part of the Naval Heritage and Cultural Command, who work closely with the Underwater Archaeology Branch. While interning in the lab, I gained experience working with copper alloy, ferrous metal, and waterlogged wood.
Pictured here are timbers from the USS Scorpion. They were salvaged from a maritime environment and subsequently stored in a barn for many years, which eventually burned down. The timbers made their way to the Navy Yard and I took part in their extensive documenting and condition reporting. We also cleaning each timber using a brush and vacuum.
There were multiple tanks that housed large artefacts undergoing desalination. The bath water needs to be changed out regularly in order to remove the chlorides, during this time we often would clean the surface of the objects to remove the last concretions and corrosion from the surface. Surface corrosion and precipitates that form during the desalination process will prevent all the chlorides from being removed.
In this picture to the right, we have removed an iron anchor from its tank and are using pneumatic tools to clean the surface. The objects were covered with towels and tarps to ensure that they stay wet during the cleaning.
17th-Century Marine Salvage Project
While working at the Royal Armouries Museum I took part in their ongoing 17th-Century Marine Salvage Project. The project includes a number of objects, including bronze cannon from the HMS London wreck site. The conservation work is taking place at Fort Nelson, a Royal Armouries site on the south coast of England. The project began several years ago but was stalled due to the pandemic and staffing changes. As other conservators stepped into the treatment, I conducted a large literature review on maritime archaeological conservation. A major portion of my review focused on recent research on alternatives to benzotriazole (BTA), including the nontoxic corrosion inhibitor L-Cysteine.
Work on the Marine Salvage Project continues, and as the objects approach low enough chloride levels to be removed from their baths, the research that I undertook will come into play as the final stages of treatment are determined.