Conservation, Preservation and Curation Issues Resulting from Unauthorized Recovery of Archaeological Material from US Navy Sunken Military Craft

Summary

The Naval History & Heritage Command (NHHC) Archaeology & Conservation Laboratory, part of the NHHC Underwater Archaeology Branch, supports the Command's mission through the conservation, preservation and curation of archaeological material recovered from US Navy sunken military craft (SMC).  More than 7% of the Navy's archaeological artifact collection was returned to NHHC for treatment and management following unauthorized removal from US Navy SMC.  Unsanctioned and uncontrolled removal of archaeological material from these sites raises complex legal issues, results in loss of provenience, and complicates interpretation of the artifact and the archaeological site.  Unauthorized recovery from underwater sites also causes significant and often irreversible damage to waterlogged archaeological material brought about by uncontrolled drying, unmitigated corrosion and deterioration processes, uninformed cleaning campaigns and storage in unsuitable environmental conditions.  This presentation will examine these issues and discuss approaches to the immediate and long-term preservation of this fragile group of US Navy artifacts. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeological Research and Preservation of US Navy Ship and Aircraft Wrecks   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 766