Alternative Methods To Using Sucrose In Wood Conservation

Summary

This is a poster submission presented at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In recent years, conservators have identified risks associated with the use of sucrose as a bulking agent for waterlogged wood. These include shrinkage, color change, failure to support highly degraded wood, and difficulty in detecting microbial bacteria. Experiments are planned to test the results of conservation on wood samples recovered from a Spanish colonization vessel (Emanuel Point II, 1559), as well as wooden barrel band fragments (withies) and staves (British Period, 1763-1781) recovered from historic downtown Pensacola by the University of West Florida. Investigations aim to test the potential advantages of alternative methods to sucrose used in wood conservation, including sucralose, trehalose, and controlled solvent dehydration. The results of the experiments will determine which conservation method may be used to conserve two large barrels, one associated with the British and Second Spanish Periods (1781-1821) and one associated with the American Period (1821- present), both recovered from excavations in downtown Pensacola.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020   •
• 2020 SHA Poster Submissions

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 622