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.