Author: Raven Mattiko
In a visible lab at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CMNH), conservators and volunteers work hard to conserve planks of the 4000-year-old Dashur boat, excavated in 1894-5 by French archaeologist Jacques de Morgan. The boat is one of four funerary boats found in Dashur, Egypt and suffice to say was in poor condition. After the one and only Andrew Carnegie donated the boat to the museum in 1901, it became quite popular with museum guests who were encouraged to step inside the artifact. Today, wood conservator Mostafa Sherif and other CMNH conservation staff work to repair the individual planks, damaged over time by museum visitors, a mysterious cleaning product, and imbedded salt damage.
‘Wife’s pride’ is an unknown cleaning product that was used by (possibly) conservators who cleaned the Dashur boat after its excavation. While maybe thought to be a good idea at the time, the product has had damaging effects on the condition of the wood.The embedded salt damage currently threatens the wood’s stability with fluctuations in humidity. This mistake (and current rectification) marks a key theme of conservation: practices evolve with new research, and it is the job of conservators to treat artifacts to the best of their ability using the most up-to-date information they have. Through my internship at the open lab in the exhibition, The Stories We Keep: Preserving Objects from Ancient Egypt, I am learning these practices and implementing them.
I have had the amazing opportunity to assist associate conservator Mostafa Sherif with his work and to learn the process of conserving the planks of the Dashur boat. First, Sherif documents the planks with photographs and reports and then we manually clean them using a hand air pump. The air pump serves to remove some dust with a gentle burst of air. Then we consolidate. Consolidation involves spraying the wood with a diluted adhesive, dabbing off the excess, and using a heated miniature spatula to press the wood fibers back together and prevent loss. The heat is important for activating the adhesive, but care is taken to protect the wood by using low temperatures and placing heat-resistant plastic over the wood. Next, we move to chemical cleaning with a diluted nitric acid solution to remove grime and salt, leaving the planks brighter and uncovering the beautiful wood grain hidden beneath. Finally, Sherif documents the planks once again.
It is important in such work to document the before and after, as well as the precise methods used to allow conservators to reference the information in the future if needed. To know exactly what was done on an artifact allows future conservators to develop the best strategies for caring for and treating the cultural treasures of humans past. Importantly, CMNH conservators put emphasis on preventative treatment over restoration as to not significantly change the appearance of artifacts. The conservators at the CMNH strive for transparency in their work, as seen with the visible lab. Every day, for two half-hour time slots staff open a window to take questions from visitors. Stories We Keep is a wonderful space for visitors and volunteers alike to build knowledge on what it means to be a conservator and the importance of preserving the tangible history of the world.
Special thanks to conservation staff, Gretchen Anderson, Annick Vuissoz, Mostafa Sherif, and Jenna Anderson for all their help and eagerness to share their expertise!
Raven Mattiko was a Museum Studies Intern at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Fall 2024