In Situ Conservation Work: Day One

We spent the first day on site preparing mosaics for stabilization in situ. This included not only carefully cleaning layers of dirt and clay off freshly excavated tesserae, being careful not to dislodge any loose pieces, but also assessing last year's work to see if it had survived the winter.

Here is the conservation team working hard on site.

 And a detail of Amanda carefully removing dirt around tesserae that will require stabilization with mortar. Because mortar will not adhere well to dirty surfaces, it is important to spend adequate time cleaning.

Boris and Jack are using tools that are a conservation favorite: bamboo skewers. Even though the mosaic floors were originally built to be walked on and stone is a hard material, age and exposure to various agents of deterioration have made the mosaic fragile. The bamboo skewers and gentle mists of water allow for fine cleaning and detail work in particularly fragile locations.

Once the floor is ready, aged lime mortar will be used to fill gaps and cracks before the mosaic is reburied to ensure preservation.

Intro

The Upper Sabina Tiberina project is located in Vacone, about 40 km north of Rome, close to the Tiber Valley. 

The dig housing is in an agroturismo, Le Colline, pictured here.

The goal of this blog is to introduce the site and document conservation efforts as we work to preserve a 1st century AD Roman Villa.

Check back often as the conservation team adds guest posts and photos!