Of course, one might ask why were you digging or why did you feel the need
to recover the plaster? Assuming you had a research design with architectural
questions and the plaster contributes to addressing important questions or
might address future questions, then conservation assumes a higher priority than
simply finding something while addressing a larger issue. In either case,
once the decision has been made to remove something from its anaerobic and
stable environment, a needs assessment is in order to triage what to do next. I
should also think that architectural plaster might play into a public
interpretive project down the line.
In 1981, I test excavated a field block of 35 square meters in area to test
if we could determine something of the appearance of a 18th century Spanish
cannon battery. None in California survive to this day, but this one was in
ruins and buried under a 1910-1940s U.S. Army parking lot (now on a Navy base).
My crew hit directly on top of a crumbled merlon and we recovered large
samples of architecture for analysis. We completed analysis of 1200 pieces,
selected the samples that would best contribute to answering our question and
returned the rest of the material back to the site in 1987. Although we tested in
several more areas until 1996, we never had the luck of the first discovery.
Those recovreed samples were dried, measured, described, photographed, some
were sketeched, then they were wrapped in acid-free paper, and set in heavy
wood boxes coated with 2-ply epoxy and lined with acid-free padding. They are
all in an underground bunker that is temperature and humidity controlled. We
bring them out for exhibition and student analysis on appointment. The key is
how the plaster samples might be used in the future.
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.
In a message dated 6/19/2008 11:03:27 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
Dear Mark,
Thank you very much for bringing some very important issues.
I do intend to keep some of the pieces (especially a column
from a building that we were very surprised to find still in
existence) but your point about recording the items then
culling them from the collection is well taken. I will
definitely look into this.
Best,
Rebecca
---- Original message ----
>Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:09:27 -0500
>From: Mark Branstner <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Conserving plaster fragments
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>Rebecca,
>
>I think a better question would be "Why do I want to
conserve/curate
>these items?" and then, depending on the answer, make a
decision. If
>you can draw it, photograph it, weight it, describe it,
sample it,
>etc., why would you possibly want to spend several hundred
dollars of
>curation space on it or other similar objects? To what end?
>
>These are real questions ... Not meaning to be flippant.
>
>Mark
>
>P.S. If its plaster, you just get it dry, and curation will
take care
>of itself.
>
>--
>
>Mark C. Branstner, RPA
>Historic Archaeologist
>
>Illinois Transportation
>Archaeological Research Program
>University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
>209 Nuclear Physics Lab, MC-571
>23 East Stadium Drive
>Champaign, IL 61820
>
>Phone: 217.244.0892
>Fax: 217.244.7458
>Cell: 517.927.4556
>[log in to unmask]
>
>
>"I hope there's pudding" - Luna Lovegood (HP5)
---------------------------
Rebecca S. Graff
PhD Candidate
Department of Anthropology
University of Chicago
1126 East 59th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
[log in to unmask]
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