The Conservation of Archaeological Iron Workshop

April 18 - 21, 2017 and April 24 - 27, 2017
Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, VA
Instructor: Valentin Boissonnas
Organizer: Emily Williams

Archaeological iron is one of the most problematic materials to come out of the ground as it can develop post-excavation corrosion that can destroy artifacts in a relatively short period of time. Iron objects not only tell the story of technological advancement of humankind but also provide a window into everyday life of cultures as diverse as Iron Age villages in the Near East, Norse landing sites in the New World, and early Native American settlements. These "bits of iron" can tell us about transportation, housing, agriculture, religion, warfare, diet, and many other aspects of cultures that may have otherwise disappeared. Training conservators how to approach these surprisingly fragile objects will help ensure that these important pieces of evidence will continue to be available for study in the future.

Join FAIC's workshop "The Conservation of Archaeological Iron" to gain hands-on experience with mechanical cleaning and x-raying of archaeological iron artifacts from excavations from Colonial Williamsburg. This four-day workshop will be offered twice in April 2017. The program is designed for mid-career, practicing conservators or archaeologists with extensive experience treating archaeological iron. Participants may be selected based on training, experience, balance of institutional and private practice conservators, balance of conservation specialty areas, number of registrants from a single organization, and geography. Preference will be given to AIC Professional Associate and Fellow members. Review will begin January 20th and continue until the workshops are filled. Notifications expected by February 1st.

FAIC/NEH Individual Professional Development Scholarships are available to eligible workshop participants. With funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, FAIC offers scholarships up to $1,000 to help defray professional development costs for individual members of AIC who are U.S. residents. Applications for funding due February 15.

For more information on this workshop, visit: http://www.conservation-us.org/archaeological-iron