PROCESS OF CHARACTERIZATION AND CONSERVATION OF A SET OF METAL

ARTIFACTS FROM FUERTE CRUZ DE GUERRA (1828-1859)

(administrative area of 25 de Mayo, Argentina).
Nelson Ariel López , Sofia Gutierrez Uriburru , Florentina Spiazzi , Emanuel Montanari
1 2 3 4

1. Grupo de Arqueometalurgia, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paseo Colon 850,Buenos Aires C1063ACV, Argentina.
2. Grupo de Arqueometalurgia (GAM), Universidad Nacional de las Artes (UNA), Av. Las Heras 1749, Buenos Aires C1018AAR, Argentina.
3. Grupo de Arqueometalurgia (GAM), Universidad del Museo Social Argentino (UMSA), Sarmiento 1565, Buenos Aires C1042ABC, Argentina
4. Grupo de Arqueometalurgia (GAM), Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Puan 480,Buenos Aires C1406CQJ, Argentina.

INTRODUCTION
This investigation is part of an archaeological research project on the 19th century military frontier sites in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. This study intends to give an account of the process of characterization and
conservation of a set of metal artifacts from the archaeological site of Fuerte Cruz de Guerra. This frontier military settlement, set up against Indigenous communities, was built in 1828 and functioned until 1859, when
it was destroyed.
While the archaeologist’s main concern is the excavation and study of the recovered artifacts, the conservator focuses on the material integrity of the objects. The preservation of the objects must be carefully done
during the excavation (short term preservation) and afterwards (long term preservation) when the objects are kept in an appropriate storage. The presence of a professional conservator at the excavation site is very
important since his main purpose is to avoid the loss of information when the artifacts are removed from their place of finding.
This paper gives an account of the conservation and characterization procedures that are complementary to the archeological investigation.
To design the conservation plan, it is very important to know the soil properties of the place where the objects were buried since they account for the specific deteriorations of the artifacts.
Fuerte Cruz de Guerra is located in 25 de Mayo, where land is very moist and nowadays used for agricultural activities. With this information, the conservator can identify the objects conservation state and prevent their
future damage.
Once the objects were safely taken to the GAM’s laboratory, the first step of the investigation was to carry out the process of documentation and diagnosis which includes a visual recognition of the artifacts and a compre-
hensive material analysis.

For further information

Figure 1 . Work in progress at the archeological site.

Figure 1 . Work in progress at the archeological site. Figure 2. Work in progress at the archeological site. Figure 3. Original plan of Parchappe (Geodesia Archive, La Plata)

MATERIALS, PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES APPLIED

1) Record and analysis of the objects’ dimensions.

2) Photographic record.
3) Conservation treatments.
4) Preventive Conservation.

Figure 4. Cock Figure 5. Buckles. Figure 6. Main parts of the Avancarga rifle Figure 7. Mesurements table

CONSERVATION TREATMENTS

The choice of a particular conservation treatment depends upon the CATHODE REDUCTION CLEANING: This bubbling appears because water
collected data and the comprehensive assessment of its information. The aim of the electrolytic reduction is to stabilize the composing ma- decomposes in the cathode surface and
Treatments must never compromise the physical integrity of the ob- terial of the object to perform the cleaning of the corrosion products. as a result, the oxide particles are
jects. This treatment was selected because its efficacy can be controlled. slightly removed as well as any loose
There are two different types of cathode reduction: dirt present in the object's surface.
MECHANICAL CLEANING: - Inmersion
A soft synthetic brush is used to eliminate superficial particles in - Sandwich Figure 11. Electrolysis by immersion in sodium hydroxide solution.

order not to scratch the surface. The electrolytic reduction is a treatment that reverses the corrosion For the smaller objects, it was considered necessary to perform a sand-
process and in which the object serves as a cathode (negative pole) wich electrolytic treatment since this type of electrolysis allows a better
and a stainless steel mesh an anode (positive pole). control of its efficacy. Instead of immersing the object in an electrolyte
solution of sodium hydroxide, the artifact is covered with a cotton previ-
ously moistened with sodium hydroxide pH 12 and a 2V tension is applied.

ULTRASONIC CLEANING:
it is a process in which objects are immersed in
Figure 8 . Mechanical cleansing.
a water tank induced by high frequency pres-
sure. Due to the size of the available ultrasonic
cleaner, the procedure was only applied to the
Figure 9. Sandwich treatment Figure 10. Inmersion treatment
smaller objects (chaveta, pie de gato, hebilla).
Sandwich treatment is done inside a cell containing an electrolyte solu- Electrolysis was firstly applied to these artifacts
tion of sodium hydroxide pH12 which allows the flow of direct current and then an ultrasonic cleaning was carried out
For further information generated by a source (applied tension between 2V and 4V) and that for 10 minutes.
results in the deposit of hydrogen bubbles in the object's surface.
Figure12. Ultrasonic Cleaning

PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION

In order to maintain the results obtained by the application of the different treatments and to prevent future damage, appro- To see the conservation work in progress
priate storage containers were design using specific conservation materials. The objects must be kept in a storage with a rel-
ative humidity between 35% and 55% and a temperature of 25ºC which must be frequently controlled.

CONCLUSION
Stabilization was achieved therefore preventing further damage and loss of data. The reduction of corrosive products facilitates the study of the objects’ morphology. A new record of the object’s dimensions was done
and put together with the results for the use of the archeologists and investigators.

References
[1] Hamilton, D.L. (1999). “Methods of conserving archaeological material from underwater sites”. Metal conservation: preliminary steps. EE. UU.: Texas, A&M University.
[2] Montanari, E.; Ciarlo, N.; Coll, L.; y Gómez Romero, F. (2016). “Rosas y el desierto. Primeros resultados de la investigación arqueológica del Fuerte Cruz de Guerra, provincia de Buenos Aires (1828-1859)”. VI Congreso de Nacional
de Arqueología Histórica. En prensa.
[3] Pearson, C. (1987). “Conservation of marine archaeological objects”. Conservation of metals. Inglaterra: Londres, Butterworths, pp. 207-252.

Acknowledgments
- Valeria Herrera, for her collaboration on the first steps of the cleaning treatments.
- María Luz Berón, for translating this piece of investigation.
- Horacio De Rosa, for his assistance through out the investigation.
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