This small long Anglo-Saxon brooch is part of the Lincolnshire County Council's "Searching for Saxons" project. Due to the historical significance of the object, the owners have requested that it be appropriately conserved and preserved. This treatment aimed to provide a light cleaning and stabilisation of the mineralised textile on the back of the brooch. It was essential to strengthen the mineralised textile in order to ensure that the brooch remained stable for future handling.
Small Long Anglo-Saxon Brooch
Skills and Techinques Summary
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Identifying and segregating materials from archaeological finds for research purposes.
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Selecting the most effective method for cleaning materials.
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Finding methods for stabilising friable materials.
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Using X-ray.
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Keeping archaeological objects in an appropriate storage environment.
Before Treatment
The front of the brooch before treatment.
The back of the brooch is covered with an unstable mineralised textile before treatment.
During Treatment
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Treatment Completed
A very soft bristle brush and an air puffer were used to gently remove the dirt from the mineralised textile found on the back of the brooch. The textile was stabilised by injecting a solution of Paraloid B-72 in acetone, into and along weak points. After mechanical cleaning, a cotton wool swab was used to clean and dry the brooch's surface, followed by the use of Industrial De-natured Alcohol (IDA). Due to the mineralised textile, it was impossible to submerge the object in Benzotriazole (BTA) mixed with IDA, so three coats of this mixture were instead brushed on. A protective layer of International Copper Research Association (also known as INCRALAC) in a toluene mixture was then brushed onto the brooch.
