14th ICOM-CC Wet Organic Archaeological Materials (WOAM) Working Group Conference
Monday 20th – Friday 24th May 2019
The Working Group Wet Organic Archaeological Materials (WOAM) is concerned with the degradation and conservation of organic archaeological objects found in fresh or salt water, or during excavation of wetland or damp sites. The group is also working with in-situ conservation, reburial, and site surveys, as well as post-conservation treatments of objects of organic archaeological materials.
The 14th ICOM-CC WOAM conference is jointly organised between the Mary Rose Trust and Historic England. The main venue for the conference is the Portland Building, University of Portsmouth.
As well as the conference program, there will be the opportunity to go behind the scenes and visit the conservation facilities of the Mary Rose Trust as well as Historic England.
There will also be a social program (included in the conference fee), the opportunity to enjoy the Historic Dockyard attractions and a field-trip (not included in the conference fee).
Please check the News tab for updates and conference news.
 | Use #WOAM2019 for updates on social media |
Location
Portland Building, University of Portsmouth
Date & Time
Monday 20 May - Friday 24 May, 2019
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Conference Program
Please find the preliminary conference agenda below OR to download and view here. This schedule was created 14th November 2018. Please note that the organising committee reserves the right to change the line-up prior to the publication of the final schedule.
Monday 20th May
09:00 - 09:25
Introductions & greetings
09:25 - 09:50
From the sea bottom to the surface: assessing underwater techniques for lifting waterlogged archaeological wooden objects.
H. Bardas and A. Pournou
09:50 - 10:15
On wooden foundations: evaluating an in-situ conservation strategy for the Viking Age trade settlement in Rostock Dierkow
R. Kuiter et al.
10:15 - 10:45
Break
10:45 - 11:10
Standardizing methods for assessing the condition of archaeological artifacts
K. High
11:10 - 11:35
Spectroscopic studies of Organic Artifacts from the Mary Rose
L. Jordan, A. Quye, E. Schofield and S. Corr
11:35 - 12:00
From promising theories to praxis: conservation of a large oak barque stern with D-Mannitol
K. Straetkvern, T. Karlsen, j. Ebsen, L. Jensen, P. Jensen. A. Petersen, A. Moesgaard, J. Bruun Jensen, J. Aagard, R. Pedersen, and N. Bjerregaard Pedersen
12:00 - 13:30
Lunch
13:30 - 13:45
Sharing practices through a collaborative web space on the conservation and restoration of waterlogged archaeological wood
G. Lemoine, C. Pelé-Meziani, G. Baron, S. Labroche, E. Guilminot
13:55 - 14:20
Further studies on bio-based polymers as consolidants for waterlogged archaeological wood and non-wood organicsFrom promising theories to praxis: conservation of a large oak barque stern with D-Mannitol
Z. Walsh-Korb and L. Averous
14:20 - 14:45
Utilization of amorphization: Trehalose conservation of vulnerable archaeological objects
Ito et al
14:45 - 15:00
Comparison of different commonly used consolidants for waterlogged wood: time consumption and properties of consolidated materials
K. Kavkler
15:00 - 15:30
Break
15:30 - 15:45
Creation of a center for archaeological artifacts conservation in Kiev, Ukraine
S. Anzhyiak et al
15:45 - 16:00
Measuring maximum water content of waterlogged wood through thermogravimetry: a comparison with normal methods
D. Shen, X. Gu, Q. Cheng, X. Tian, N. Li, J. Du, K. Yuan, and N. Macchioni
16:00 - 16:15
Research on the dehydration of the waterlogged archaeological wood from Xiaobaijao No 1 Shipwreck
Z. Zhang, R. Li, X. Wan, and T. Jin
16:15 - 16:30
Saggy bowls and crushed containers: the conservation of a group of Medieval wooden bowls and spice canisters.
L. Duarte and L. Goodman
16:30 - 17:45
Poster Presentations
Bickerton; Elam and Bjordal, Hazell; Majka; Tjellden; Schmidt-Ott; Brather; Brather; Albrecht-Kramer; Mahapol; Grayson; Hagele -Masnick; Fejfer; Goodman and Duarte
Tuesday 21st May
09:00 - 09:25
The deterioration and conservation of a pelt fragment from a Medieval context
P. Edqvist and C. Steindal
09:25 - 09:50
Using mixtures of low and high molecular weight polyethylene glycol to conserve archaeological leather
J. Brunn Jensen
09:50 - 10:15
Two hats too many? An investigation of leather from the wreck of the HMS Stirling Castle
A. Middleton. I. Hovmand, and D. Sommer
10:15 - 10:45
Break
10:45 - 11:10
Adventures in basketry
Tara Grant
11:10 - 11:35
Why does deformation of birch bark take place and alternatives to the use of solvent vapors for bark flexibility
J. Klugl and G. Di Pietro
11:35 - 12:00
Learning from the past: studying the reversibility of conservation agents in archaeological bast fibres
I Stelzner et al.
12:00 - 13:30
Lunch
13:30 - 13:55
Caulking textiles from the Lyon Saint-George 4 shipwreck : recording and conservation questions
L. Meunier and M. Guyon
13:55 - 14:20
Navigating the challenges of the changing demands and needs of small finds museum / archive storage: the case of a collection of conserved wet archaeological textiles
E. Peacock
14:20 - 14:45
Piecing together history: conservation of a wool coat from USS Monitor
E. Sangouard and W. Hoffman
14:45 - 15:10
Conservation of ropes from the Phanom-Surin Shipwreck Site, Thailand
S. Mahapol
15:10 - 15:40
Break
15:40 - 15:55
Hanging by a thread: the effect of PEG treatment on the tensile properties of waterlogged archaeological rope from the London
M. Creed et al.
15:55- 16:10
Wax items and a leather jacket: a glimpse of the late Medieval town of Nya Lödöse in Sweden
I. Nyström Godfrey and M. Skogbert
16:10 - 16:25
How do you treat tinder fungus? The conservation of waterlogged archaeological Polypore fungi
T. Nyborg
16:25 - 16:50
Conservation of waterlogged ivory: the effects of glycerol on drying
I. Godfrey, K. Kasi and G. Turner-Walker
16:50 - 17:15
Whitehorse Hill-A Bronze Age cist burial
H. Williams
17:15 - 17:45
Poster Presentations
Ridgeway and Allaire; Dittus; Evans et al; Masson-Maclean; Lucejko et al; Labroche; Bogatova; Reyer
Wednesday 22nd May
09:00 - 09:25
Comparative chemical investigations of alum treated archaeological wood from different museum collections
J. Lucejko, M. sahlstedt, C. McQueen, F. Modugno, and S. Braovac
09:25 - 09:50
Unexpected ammonium compounds in alum-treated wood from the Oseberg collection
C. McQueen, S. Braovac, J. Lucejko, and F. Modugno
09:50 - 10:15
Re-treatment testing of alum-treated woods from the Oseberg collection-results from the first trails
M. Sahlstedt, M. Wittkopper and S. Braovac
10:15 - 10:45
Break
10:45 - 11:10
Investigation of natural polymers for treatments of Oseberg artifacts-review of lab degraded and archaeological wood
J. Wakefield, C. Steindal, E. Piva, R. Stockman, G. Adams, T. Heinze, S. Braovac and S. Harding
11:10 - 11:35
Bio-based treatment for the extraction of problematic iron sulfides from waterlogged archaeological wood
M. Monachon, M. Albelda Berenguer and E. Joseph
11:35 - 12:00
The development of localized targeted treatments for the removal of destructive acids from marine archaeological wood
E. Schofield, E. Aluri, E. Perez, R. O'Reilly and S. Corr
12:00 - 13:30
Lunch
13:30 - 13:55
Development of curative and preventive treatments for waterlogged archaeological wood contaminated by pyrite
G. Chaumat, D. Zahnweh, X. Martinez-Carballal, L. Caillat, T. Guiblain, and M. Debeaurain
13:55 - 14:20
Deacidification of acid-affected PEG treated timbers from the Korean Shinan ship using poultices
V. Richards, I, Godfrey, K. Kasi and M. Cha
14:20 - 14:35
Lyon St. George 4: feedback on the treatment of a high-rate pyriteous wreck
L. Meuier
14:35 - 15:00
Development of styrene -free resins and acrylic monomers for the conservation of composite wood-meetal archaeological artifacts by radiation curing.
K. Tran
15:00 - 15:15
The conservation treatment of wood-iron composites objects from marine contexts using the Trehalose method: study of the stabilization of iron after the conservation treatment
Ito et al
15:15 - 15:45
Break
15:45 - 16:10
Poster Presentations
Lucejko et al; Jagielska; Fierro-Mircovich; Rivera
16:10 - 17:30
Business meeting and Awards
Thursday 23rd May
09:00 - 09:15
Keeping an eye on conserved ships, long-term monitoring: why and how?
A. Colson, D. Hauer, K. Gamstedt, and E. Schofield
09:15 - 09:40
Characterization of mechanical properties of Vasa oak and their application in a full-scale numerical model for support assessment
R. Afshar, A. Ahlgren, and E. Gamstedt
09:40 - 10:05
The role of conservators in the implementation of surveying techniques-reflection on the Bremen Cog monitoring project
A. Colson. H. Hastedt, T. Luhmann, M. Hess
10:05 - 10:30
Break
10:30- 10:55
Application of fixed target photogrammetry for deformation monitoring of large, complex archaeological wooden structures
D. Hauer, K. Gamstedt, A. Colson and H. Hastedt
10:55 - 11:20
The deformation monitoring of the Arles Rhone 3 Roman barge
D. Peloso, M-L Courboules, V. Dumas and A. Colson
11:20- 11:45
High and dry: a survey of a small fleet of PEG treated shipwrecks
F. Davidson
11:45 - 12:00
Fishing for Stability: Conservation of a Fish Trap in a block excavation by the Alcohol-Ether-Resin method
K. Schmidt-Ott, C. Andre and M. BaderHagele-Masnick; Fejfer; Goodman and Duarte
12:00 - 13:30
Lunch
13:30 - 13:55
Does waterlogged archaeological wood contribute to corrosive environments within display cases?
S. Hunt, E. Schofield, J. Grau-Bove, N. Martin and S. Gaisford
13:55 - 14:10
The Museum of Archaeological Wood in Sviyazhsk: the first museum in Russia: the in situ conservation of the site of the wooden urban development
A. Sitdikov and A. Silkin
14:10 - 14:25
The oldest log boat of Switzerland is back to the lake – The realization of an open-air display at its find spot
F. Moll-dau, M. Wittkopper, and J. Kluegl
14:25 - 14:40
The royal treatment: conservation of archaeological wood from the Revolutionary war vessel Royal Savage
S. Daniel, K. Morrand and R. Vykukal
14:40 - 14:55
Conservation of waterlogged organic materials in the field
N. Vasilyeva
14:55 - 15:30
Break
15:30 - 15:55
Conserving a charred medieval shipwreck: A preliminary study
E. Mitsi and A. Pournou
15:55 - 16:10
The investigation and exhibition of the rudder from the Saint George
M. Rasmussen
16:10 - 16:25
The retreatment of the Betsy
C. Kreiner and K. Ridgway
16:25 - 16:50
Conservation of the Yenikapi shipwrecks: from the beginning to the present
N. Kilic and G. Kilic
16:50 - 17:15
The Mary Rose: larger than life
D. Pearson and E. Schofield
Friday 24th May
All day
Visits
Social Program
During the conference, a program of optional social activities will be offered to delegates.
Monday 20TH MAYThe Welcome Reception will be held on Monday, 20th May, 19:30 at Southsea Castle. You will be able to enjoy views over the Solent and see where the Mary Rose sank. | Thursday 23RD MAYThe Gala Dinner will be held on Thursday 23rd May 2019, at 18:30, at the Mary Rose Museum. Please note, the gala dinner is not included in the general conference fee. Tickets are £75 per person. Please visit the booking page. You are able to purchase a companion ticket; however, this event is limited to 100 people. | saturday 25TH MAYA Field trip on Saturday 25th May 2019 to visit Flag Fen, Archaeology Park. Tickets are £60 per person. Please visit the booking page to book your place. |
Join us in May 2019
Register your place today
NB: Tickets available until 19th April 2019. Tickets cannot be purchased at the event.
Call For Papers
ICOM-CC’s Wet Organic Archaeological Materials Working Group (WOAM) exists to: disseminate scientific research in the field of wet organic archaeological materials; to promote the application of new materials and technologies for conservation, investigate new tools for analysis and documentation; present relevant case studies in the conservation of wet organic archaeological materials; identify further areas of research and to facilitate networking for future collaborative activities.
For the 2017-2020 Triennial period, WOAM opted to focus on the following subjects:
- The ethics and practicalities of treating waterlogged materials, especially large structures or large assemblages.
- Documentation and characterisation techniques for recording and assessing wet organics.
- In situ preservation of wet organic archaeological materials and sites?
- New treatment techniques and continued review of established methods, for example Kauramin, PEG, Sugars, Alum etc. We welcome studies that address the long-term performance and stability of treatments.
- The treatment of composite materials.
- The treatment of non-wood organics.
- The display and storage of waterlogged (and previously waterlogged) organics.
- The role of sulfur and other contaminants in the deterioration of wood and other organics and ways to mitigate these effects.
Although papers and posters addressing these subjects are most welcome, the list is not inclusive and we encourage all original submissions covering topics relevant to the analysis, treatment, study and care of wet organic archaeological materials for consideration.
Please submit abstracts for papers or posters to: woamcoordinator@gmail.com. They are due by September 15, 2018. Abstracts should be a minimum of 250 words and a maximum of 500 words. They must contain the title, author(s) name and contact details as well as the body of the abstract. They should not contain images or graphs.
Key dates to remember:
Sept 15, 2018: Submission of abstracts for papers or posters
October 31, 2018 Notification of speakers and authors
March 30, 2019: Submission of all papers and posters for inclusion in conference post-print.
Conference Location
Portland Building, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 3AH
For more information about the area please click through to the Visit Portsmouth website.
Helpful Links
Train times and fare information: National Rail
Coaches/ Airport transfer: National Express
Portsmouth bus service: First Group Bus Timetable
Airport arrival / departure information: Southampton, Heathrow, Gatwick
Aqua Cars Taxis - 02392 654 321
City Wide Taxis - 02392 833 333
Accommodation
Portsmouth offers a number of hotels, close to the conference venue. We have provided a selection here and a link to book directly.
Please make your own arrangements.
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News
Keep up to date with program announcements and conference news.
NOTICE:
Poster boards are 1.2 by 1.8 metres and can be used portrait or landscape