Assessing the Long-Term Efficacy of Geotextiles in Preserving Archaeological Wooden Shipwrecks in the Marine Environment

Pournou, Anastasia

doi:10.1007/s11457-017-9176-9

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…They are effective in the short term and sandbags also remain effective after almost 30 years of deployment. Importantly, the methods act as good physical barriers against further erosion, generate an anaerobic environment and ensure long-term protection against continued degradation from marine biota (Gregory and Manders 2016 ; Pournou 2017 ). Artificial seagrass mats consisting of non-degradable polypropylene fronds, have, in fact, been used to simulate the protective effects of seagrass on shipwrecks, submerged prehistoric sites and other constructions.…”

Section: Seagrass Loss and Conservation: Implications For The Archivementioning

confidence: 99%

Seagrass sedimentary deposits as security vaults and time capsules of the human past

Serrano

Apostolaki

Gregory

et al. 2018

Ambio

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Seagrass meadows form valuable ecosystems, but are considered to have low cultural value due to limited research efforts in this field. We provide evidence that seagrass deposits play a hitherto unrealized central role in preserving valuable submerged archaeological and historical heritage across the world, while also providing an historical archive of human cultural development over time. We highlight three case studies showing the significance of seagrass in protecting underwater cultural heritage in Denmark, the Mediterranean and Australia. Moreover, we present an overview of additional evidence compiled from the literature. We emphasize that this important role of seagrasses is linked to their capacity to form thick sedimentary deposits, accumulating over time, thereby covering and sealing submerged archaeological heritage. Seagrass conservation and restoration are key to protecting this buried heritage while also supporting the role of seagrass deposits as carbon sinks as well as the many other important ecosystem functions of seagrasses.

show abstract

Section: Seagrass Loss and Conservation: Implications For The Archivementioning

confidence: 99%

Seagrass sedimentary deposits as security vaults and time capsules of the human past

Serrano

Apostolaki

Gregory

et al. 2018

Ambio

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…"In situ" means that the object will remain on-site, exactly where it was discovered, while reburial allows for its excavation (and possibly a non-destructive examination) and then reburial (in one piece or in parts) in the same or another environment [262]. Complete understanding of the waterlogged environments with all the biological, physical, chemical and geological processes that happen there as well as wood deterioration processes is fundamental to effective in situ preservation of wooden cultural heritage [9,57,262,265].…”

Section: In Situ Preservation and Reburialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical Wood: Structure, Properties and Conservation

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. Preface to "Historical Wood: Structure, Properties and Conservation"Nowadays, the majority of research concentrates on applied science that regards issues crucial from the socio-economical perspective, such as new functional materials and super-efficient technologies, clean energy, improvement of human health, or tackling climate change. However, we cannot forget about our culture and history, which define our humanity. Wooden cultural heritage is an integral part of it. Therefore, we are obliged to protect it, save it from oblivion, and preserve it for future generations. This Special Issue presents the methods for the historical wooden artefacts conservation, reliable modern techniques for characterisation of the wood structure, properties and degree of degradation.It also discusses problems and doubts related to all aspects of conservation and re-conservation of wooden cultural heritage.We hope that this book will meet the expectations of readers interested in historical wood.

show abstract

Section: In Situ Preservation and Reburialmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In water ecosystems, such conditions are available in anoxic or dysoxic sediments, where wood can be preserved even for hundreds of years, while the exposure to an oxygenated water column limits the time to only a few years (e.g., three years in the Mediterranean Sea). Therefore, for reburial, usually marine or freshwater sediments are used; sometimes, additional cover materials are applied onto the object or the covering sediment layer, including concrete blocks, sandbags, plastic or geotextile, to prevent its re-exposure to oxygenated water [262,265]. In terrestrial habitats, favourable conditions for wood preservation can be found in bogs, wetlands, or highly saturated soil, particularly if they are permanently saturated [8,9,45,266].…”

Section: In Situ Preservation and Reburialmentioning

confidence: 99%

Conservation of Waterlogged Wood—Past, Present and Future Perspectives

Broda

Hill

2021

Forests

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper reviews the degradation, preservation and conservation of waterlogged archaeological wood. Degradation due to bacteria in anoxic and soft-rot fungi and bacteria in oxic waterlogged conditions is discussed with consideration of the effect on the chemical composition of wood, as well as the deposition of sulphur and iron within the structure. The effects on physical properties are also considered. The paper then discusses the role of consolidants in preserving waterlogged archaeological wood after it is excavated as well as issues to be considered when reburial is used as a means of preservation. The use of alum and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as consolidants is presented along with various case studies with particular emphasis on marine artefacts. The properties of consolidated wood are examined, especially with respect to the degradation of the wood post-conservation. Different consolidants are reviewed along with their use and properties. The merits and risks of reburial and in situ preservation are considered as an alternative to conservation.

show abstract

Assessing the Long-Term Efficacy of Geotextiles in Preserving Archaeological Wooden Shipwrecks in the Marine Environment

Cited by 9 publications

References 17 publications

Seagrass sedimentary deposits as security vaults and time capsules of the human past

Seagrass sedimentary deposits as security vaults and time capsules of the human past

Historical Wood: Structure, Properties and Conservation

Conservation of Waterlogged Wood—Past, Present and Future Perspectives

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About