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Field Conservation of Skeletal Remains: Stabilization Treatment Techniques and Implications for Future Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 March 2019

Harriet F. Beaubien Open the ORCID record for Harriet F. Beaubien [Opens in a new window]
Harriet F. Beaubien*
Affiliation:
Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution, 4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland, MD 20746, USA; and Beaubien Conservation, 706 Camino Militar, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA (beaubienh@gmail.com)
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Abstract

The information potential of human skeletal remains—as for any excavated material—is impacted by the conditions of archaeological burial, and the environments and actions experienced during subsequent excavation, laboratory processing, study, and storage. A conservation approach emphasizes the mitigation of threats to material stability and integrity, which for excavated collections are often most critical at the point of archaeological exposure and recovery. Conservation techniques involving application of modern synthetic materials for stabilizing skeletal remains in the field are discussed, using case examples primarily from terrestrial archaeological projects in Mesoamerica. The potential effects of the use of various conservation materials on results of biomolecular instrumental analysis are included.

El potencial informativo de los restos humanos, como todo tipo de material excavado, se ve afectado por las condiciones del enterramiento arqueológico y por los contextos y acciones a los que estuvieron expuestos durante la excavación, procesamiento de laboratorio, estudio y almacenamiento. Un enfoque de conservación enfatiza atenuar los riesgos a la estabilidad e integridad del material, factores que para las colecciones excavadas son más críticos en el momento de la exposición y recuperación arqueológicas. En este artículo se discuten técnicas de conservación que incluyen la aplicación de materiales sintéticos modernos para estabilizar los restos óseos en el campo, utilizando ejemplos de casos principalmente de proyectos arqueológicos terrestres en Mesoamérica. Se discuten los posibles efectos del uso de diversos materiales de conservación en los resultados del análisis instrumental biomolecular.

Keywords

human remainsfield conservationconsolidationfacingjacketingliftingbiomolecular analysisrestos humanosconservación en campoconsolidaciónreforzadoencamisamientoextracciónanálisis biomolecular
Type
Articles
Information
Advances in Archaeological Practice , Volume 7 , Special Issue 1: The Practice and Ethics of Skeletal Conservation , February 2019 , pp. 23 - 29
Copyright
Copyright 2019 © Society for American Archaeology 

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References

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