{"id":1214,"date":"2011-06-22T23:41:00","date_gmt":"2011-06-23T04:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/?p=1214"},"modified":"2011-06-22T23:41:00","modified_gmt":"2011-06-23T04:41:00","slug":"39th-annual-meeting-objects-session-june-1-recovering-painted-organic-objects-from-ancient-mesoamerica-strategic-considerations-in-the-field-and-the-lab-by-harriet-f-beaubien","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/2011\/06\/22\/39th-annual-meeting-objects-session-june-1-recovering-painted-organic-objects-from-ancient-mesoamerica-strategic-considerations-in-the-field-and-the-lab-by-harriet-f-beaubien\/","title":{"rendered":"AIC’s 39th Annual Meeting – Objects Session, June 1, “Recovering Painted Organic Objects from Ancient Mesoamerica: Strategic Considerations in the Field and the Lab” by Harriet F. Beaubien."},"content":{"rendered":"

The first session of talks for the Objects Specialty Group focused on archaeological materials.\u00a0 Fitting to the theme, Rae Beaubien<\/a> opened the talk by picking up the headlamp near the computer (improvisation by t<\/ins>he always-prepared Program Chair Sanchita Balachandran when the podium light was missing) and exclaimed \u201cOh good, there\u2019s a headlamp!\u201d\u00a0 Then she proceeded to wear it long enough for the audience to laugh.\u00a0 This welcome humor introduced a talk that focused on her extensive fieldwork experience in Mesoamerica and practical considerations for the recovery of fragile painted organic objects (you guessed it, the acronym is none other than POO).\u00a0 I was particularly looking forward to this talk because of my interest in archaeological material and my awe and respect for Rae\u2019s knowledge and treatment skills (introduced to me when she was an adjunct archaeological instructor during my conservation training at Buffalo).<\/p>\n

These painted organic objects, typically made of gourds or wood, are often only detected if they are associated with an inorganic material like stucco, paint, or stone.\u00a0 They were a significant part of ancient Mayan material culture during the Classical Mayan Period (3rd<\/sup> \u2013 9th<\/sup> centuries C.E.) and are commonly associated with offerings and furnishings in high-status tombs.\u00a0 Due to the incredible instability of the material, the prolific nature of these organic materials is only known through depictions on Mayan art, written descriptions from Spanish missionaries, and similar examples<\/a> in use by modern cultures.<\/p>\n

Rae illustrated examples of surviving objects from the sites of Chich\u00e9n Itz\u00e1<\/a> in Mexico, Cer\u00e9n<\/a> in El Salvador, Cop\u00e1n<\/a> in Honduras, and Waka\u2019-El Per\u00fa<\/a> in Guatemala.\u00a0 The ability to successfully excavate this type of material is based on conservation involvement, as well as other factors: \u00a0How accessible is the deposit?\u00a0 How much time is available? \u00a0Can the high-value materials be cleared first to prevent looting? Can conservation be done later?<\/p>\n

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Through images and anecdotes, Rae illustrated a number of conservation strategies and practical recovery methods \u00a0for a variety of excavation situations.\u00a0 For example, a jumbled deposit of paint flakes, jades, shells, stone, and ceramics from Cop\u00e1n was collected within a grid pattern of 350 squares, stratigraphically if the layers were preserved. \u00a0If the surface required consolidation, it was photographed, then B-72 was used with a subsequent facing of Japanese tissue and methylcellulose. \u00a0The material within each grid square was transferred to a container and brought to the lab for a slow and careful excavation under the microscope.\u00a0 Incredibly, they were able to identify a painted wooden burial platform from hundreds of lifted containers.\u00a0 Other considerations were mentioned and addressed, such as: \u00a0Does it need pre-consolidation? Can you gain access underneath the object?\u00a0 Can the floor be cut?\u00a0 Is it resting face-up or down?\u00a0 For objects resting face-up, can you clean and photograph them first?<\/p>\n

Rae\u2019s talk was peppered with clever terms, such as:<\/p>\n