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So far some 16,000 artifacts, including 5 cannon, have been retrieved but it is estimated that this represents a mere 2% of the site. Even so the QAR artifact assemblage reflects many aspects of early eighteenth maritime culture. Ships parts and equipment, arms, scientific, navigational and medical instruments, personal effects, and food preparation and storage items have been recovered from the wreck. By studying the artifacts, archaeologists gain valuable insight into the period's naval technology, colonial provisioning, slave trade, shipboard life, and the material culture of piracy. The QAR cannon (5 excavated and at least 17 still at the site) represent a world-class collection of eighteenth century armament. The variety of cannon and the fact that they were loaded and ready for action typify a pirate vessel.
Before the artifacts can be studied they need to be conserved. There are two main problems with objects recovered from the sea. One is that they are likely to be encased within hard concretions made up of deposits of calcium carbonate, shells, and sand. Many artifacts may be encased in a single large concretion. The other problem is that all the artifacts will be saturated with salts - particularly sodium chloride. If the objects are allowed to dry out before the salts have been removed they will cause metal objects to corrode and damage the physical structure of other materials such as pottery. Soluble salt activity can cause the destruction of an object. Conservation steps include the removal of artifacts from concretion, removal of soluble salts, drying, applying protective coatings and re- assembly of broken objects where possible. Conservation of artifacts from shipwrecks requires highly trained professional conservators with talent and knowledge. Although there are general procedures for the whole range of materials passing through the laboratory, artifacts are often complex and have been subjected to varying conditions even though from the same site. Treatment needs for each artifact vary accordingly and conservators adjust equipment, methods and preservation chemicals for specific objects.
The QAR Project's Conservation Laboratory is in what used to be a Voice of America (VOA) station. Construction of the new lab began in February 2003. There are two small offices, a wet dirty lab and a clean dry lab in the main building. We also have a 4,000 sq ft warehouse in which conservation of large objects (such as cannon and ship's timbers) and electrolytic treatment of metal finds will be done. With a construction budget of about $52,000, and much creative recycling we have set up a functioning conservation facility capable of treating the majority of the finds. We will, however, have to take finds elsewhere for processes requiring large expensive equipment such as x-radiography of concreted metal objects or freeze-drying to stabilize and dry wood. All the QAR finds that need treatment (some 11,000) have been moved to Greenville from Morehead City and Fort Fisher. With construction of the lab and the arrival of the objects the final stages of their conservation can begin.
In March 2003, Sarah Watkins-Kenney (previously Head of Metals, Ceramics and Glass Conservation at The British Museum, London UK) joined the project as Project Conservator. In July 2003 Wendy Welsh, moved from working with the finds at Fort Fisher, to the new lab as Laboratory Manager. In September 2003 Eric Nordgren (previously Conservator with the Institute of Nautical Archaeology in Alexandria Egypt) joined the project as Assistant Conservator. Graduate assistants at ECU complete the conservation team.
After, as well as during, the conservation process artifacts are documented - measured, described, photographed, drawn, and analyzed. Extensive records are completed on where each artifact was recovered, its condition, the conservation procedures used during cleaning and stabilizing, and its physical characteristics. This information is entered into the DCR artifact database to be held centrally at the Office of State Archaeology Research Center in Raleigh and will be available to present and future researchers. Once conservation, and recording of the finds has been completed the finds will go to the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort where a new storage and study center for the finds has been built. Some conserved finds, including the ship's bell, a medical syringe containing mercury and cannon balls are already on display at the Museum and illustrate the range of activities on board ship. Although the objects are conserved they will continue to be much more fragile than modern objects made of similar materials, due to deterioration by all the years under the sea. Environmental conditions (such as temperature and humidity) will be carefully monitored and controlled to keep the objects safe.
For further information about conservation of the QAR artifacts contact: Sarah Watkins-Kenney
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