e­conservation

the online magazine No. 18, February 2011

 A REFLECTION ON THE PREVENTIVE
CONSERVATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL WOOD
AND THE EFFECTS OF MASS TOURISM

The Case Study of the Vasa Warship

By Cristina Cabello‐Briones
CRISTINA CABELLO‐BRIONES

Archaeological wood is an organic material, sensitive to environmental conditions. Wood, even when
treated with polyethylene glycols, adapts to the surrounding environment with physical and chemical
reactions that may be detrimental to its preservation. In addition, excessive tourism has a negative
effect on the museum environment once its indoor conditions fluctuate directly with the number of visitors.
In order to minimize the effects of a negative climate caused by mass tourism on archaeological wood
collections, preventive conservation measures should be taken. To illustrate an effective preventive
conservation management, the case of the Vasa museum in Stockholm, which houses the 386 years old
Vasa warship, is discussed.

Introduction growth is promoted and swelling increases. Main‐

Tourism is and must be acceptable for any museum.
However, large‐scale tourism has a direct nega‐
tive effect on collections such as that of the Vasa
Museum. Although it is clear that environmental
conditions affect archaeological wood, preventive
conservation of such collections has not been ex‐
tensively considered. Wooden shipwrecks have
been studied from several perspectives mainly in
research that refers to material degradation and
new treatments. The main objective of this article
is to raise public awareness of this topic and high‐
light the benefits of a well planned preventive
conservation strategy in order to safeguard ar‐
chaeological wooden cultural artefacts. Before
analysing the example of the Vasa Museum, a
brief description of the effects of environment
and tourism on archaeological wood and an in‐
troduction to preventive conservation manage‐
ment are presented.
taining the relative humidity between 50‐60%
reduces most of the visible damage. However, Mi‐
chalski [2] reminds us that "the specifications for
temperature and humidity in related literature rep‐
resent the lowest common denominator amongst
the needs of objects, and not necessarily the op‐
timum for each". Each case needs to be analysed
individually and on many occasions this means
testing the decisions in practice.
When an object is mechanically stable, most dam‐
age is due to RH fluctuations. These can eventu‐
ally lead to cracking, checking and warping of the
wooden artefact. In addition, fast changes in rel‐
ative humidity cause internal stresses due to dif‐
ferences of moisture between inner and outer
areas [3, p. 34]. Therefore, an ideal environment
is achieved when no cyclic variations occur. Slight
shifts are permitted if the change is slow, varying
at maximum over ±5% range [4, p. 269].

Preventive Conservation of Archaeological Wood Relating to temperature, every 10 °C increase

Wood equilibrates with its environment. If the sur‐
rounding conditions change, wood reacts to the
abundance or absence of moisture in the air and
will expand or contract. Thomson [1] recommen‐
ded 19‐24 °C and 45‐55% RH as ideal conditions
for the museum environment housing unpainted
wooden objects. At lower RH values, wood cracks,
becomes brittle and shrinks. Above 65% RH, mold
doubles the average rate of organic reactions [3,
p. 40]. Therefore, lower temperature levels (15‐
20 °C) slow these rates and offer a comfortable
environment to visitors.
Light affects wood in several ways. The most severe
damages are connected with chemical bond break‐
age, free radical formation and the subsequent
depolymerisation of polymers. In addition, wood

44 e‐conser vation
 PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL WOOD
that has been exposed to the visible and ultra‐
violet wavelengths radiation of daylight under‐
goes colour change [5]. Experts agree on a range
between 300 and 50 lux as appropriate for safe
display, although lighting between 200 and 50 lux
should be used for severely deteriorated objects
considering that 50 lux is the minimum level re‐
quired for colour perception and adequate visi‐
bility [4, p. 268].
Treatment with polyethylene glycol (PEG) has be‐
come the most common application for the pre‐
servation of many kinds of waterlogged wooden
remains. The technique involves the impregnation
of wood with PEG solutions so that the water in the
cell walls is replaced by the preservative. The pro‐
cess is focused on the stabilisation of the timbers’
dimensions and bulking of the wood structure.
Highly degraded wood treated with PEG changes
its dimension regularly according to the relative
humidity though its range of change is smaller
than that of sound wood [6]. For wood treated
with any molecular weight of PEG, unless it is con‐
tinually recoated, exposure to high RH (higher
than 60%) will make the surface sticky and could
leach out the impregnant [7]. In addition, PEG is
hygroscopic and transports ions and dissolved
oxygen within the treated wood when there are
humidity fluctuations causing both physical and
chemical problems [8].
Impact of Large‐scale Tourism on the Cultural
Heritage
Tourism affects tangible heritage in several and
diverse ways: visitors release heat, water vapour
and carbon dioxide; they transport external par‐
ticles and the accumulation of dust can lead to
further cleaning that may damage surfaces; they
also generate turbulence, which increases the
deposition rate of particulate matter [9, pp. 127‐
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140]. In addition, a large number of people visit
museums on rainy days and their wet coats intro‐
duce additional moisture.
Although it is difficult to differentiate between in‐
door environmental variations caused by visitors and
the effects of outdoor climate, it is clear that the
way tourism in museums is organised nowadays
has a direct connexion with environmental fluctu‐
ations. An adult releases approximately 60 grams
of water vapour per hour and 60 watts per square
metre of body surface as heat [10, p. 20], affecting
ambient relative humidity. Negative environmental
condition cycles are related to successive waves
of tourists who access the museum. For example,
measurements in the Kunsthistorisches Museum
in Vienna during and after the Bruegel exhibition
in 1998 showed an increase in heat and moisture
directly caused by the tourism flows [9, p. 132].
To avoid the collection itself and/or the building
acting as buffer elements, environmental control
systems must cope with these sudden stresses,
maintaining a constant climate during and after
the visiting hours.
Preventive Conservation Management
Although large‐scale visitor access involves risk
for cultural objects, the public is necessary to
keep a museum open. A large number of visitors
increases the prestige of a museum and ensures
funding as demonstrated by the Delphi survey of
owners and managers of historic properties across
the United Kingdom [11]. The survey shows that
the highest ranked criterion for priority in fund‐
ing is related to the ‘significance’ of the heritage.
This is measured through its uniqueness and rel‐
evance for the community as well as its public
appeal. However, pressures imposed by visitors
are not considered to be a major criterion for de‐
termining conservation funding.
45
CRISTINA CABELLO‐BRIONES
Mass tourism is an economic resource and in the
context of indoor climate, the key is to achieve the
right balance between the increasing demand for
access and the need to protect the cultural herit‐
age itself.
Different measures can be carried out to reduce
the impact of tourism. Not including the cultural
object/site in promotional material could reduce
the awareness of the attraction [12]. Another
solution could be to display the most valuable
objects of a collection in showcases or substitute
them with replicas. However, display cases are
not always the best conservation solution [13]
and ethical issues as authenticity, provenance
and context could arise [14]. According to Young
and Cassar [15], the type of measure depends on
the uniqueness and vulnerability of the cultural
artefact, its local or international importance,
the ability to make facsimiles, the rate of degrada‐
tion from environmental conditions and the quality
of the protective environment.
Figure 1. The Vasa warship. Photo by Anneli Karlsson, the Swedish National Maritime Museums, © All rights reserved.
46
In these days of rising cost and lack of funding,
preventive conservation management is the best
option. According to Cassar’s definition, preventive
conservation management is “the creation and
maintenance of an environment that limits the
decay of museum objects to the absolute minimum
consistent with public access” [10, p. 3]. A pre‐
servation plan allows the analysis of deteriorating
environmental conditions caused by the influx of
tourist and developing a strategy to protect the
cultural artefacts. Additionally, environmental
monitoring is a reliable source of information that
can be used to assess risks and understand dam‐
ages and impacts.
Case Study: Preventive Conservation of the
Vasa Warship
The Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus ordered the
Vasa (figure 1) to be built in 1625 due to the Thirty
Years' War. Although a number of different tree
species were used in the Vasa, 90% of the weight
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 PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL WOOD

Figure 2. Stern view of the Vasa warship. Photo by Karolina Kristensson, the Swedish National Maritime Museums,
© All rights reserved.

e‐conser vation 47
CRISTINA CABELLO‐BRIONES
of the hull is oak. The ship sank, fully equipped, on
its maiden voyage out of Stockholm harbour in
1628, and was raised to the surface in 1961. On
the salvage, the timbers were found to be in re‐
markably good state (figure 2). The main reasons
were the absence of marine borers, fungi and rot
due to the near oxygen‐free conditions in the wa‐
ter and high concentration of hydrogen sulphide.
However, the surface of the timbers was attacked
by cellulose‐degrading and sulphur‐meta‐bolizing
microorganisms. After salvage, exposure to atmo‐
spheric oxygen initiated a multitude of chemical
reactions threatening the long‐term preserva‐
tion of the ship such as oxidation of sulphur to
sulphuric acid, red‐ox reactions of sulphur and
iron compounds from bolts and cargo made of
iron, free radical reactions, acid hydrolysis and
oxidative degradation reactions of cellulose. The
conservation with PEG 1500 and 600 between 1962
Figure 3. General view of the Vasa Museum. Photo by Åke E:son Lindman, © All rights reserved.
48
and 1979 was followed by an air drying process for
another ten years1.
According to Emma Hocker [16, p. 4], conservator
at the Vasa Museum, the control of the indoor
environment has been a challenge, especially
due to the increasing public. The museum was
designed as a display case for the ship (figure 3)
with an internal airspace of about 105000 m3. The
original predictions of 600 000 visitors per year
have steadily increased until numbers reached 1.2
million visitors in 2008. The main reasons are its
value as source of information of a specific con‐
text and timeframe, but also the museum market‐
1 More detailed information can be found on the website of
the Vasa Museum website at: http:// www.vasamuseet.se/
en/Preservation‐‐Research/
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 PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL WOOD

ing strategy and the rise in the number of cruises

with Stockholm as a destination.

The museum former climate specifications were

set at 60% RH and 20 °C for summer months, and
57.5% RH and 17 °C in winter to avoid condensa‐
tion in the museum walls [17], equivalent to wood‐
moisture content of 10‐12%. Although this system
was sufficient for the winter months [18, p. 171]
when there were relatively few visitors, during
warm and wet summers, the RH rose to over 65%.
Temperature and RH gradients caused by the build‐ Figure 4. Current climate‐control system above the ship stern.
Photo by Karolina Kristensson, © All rights reserved.
ing height [16, p. 5] were accepted as inevitable
but at lower levels [19] the RH at times reached
70% impacting the movement of the wood. The by dehumidifying in advance when potential risks
climate system was under‐dimensioned. are detected [16, p. 7]. Also a new energy‐effect‐
ive halogen‐based lighting system was installed
After a record number of visitors during the rainy producing 30% less radiant heat [21].
summer of 2000, salt outbreaks were drawn to the
surface. Hydrated PEG could have dissolved salts Since installation, the hall climate has stabilised
[20] from the material at high RH and these salts considerably despite the greater number of visit‐
could have precipitated on the wood surface when ors and the outdoor climate (figures 5 and 6). Out‐
the PEG was dehydrated at low RH. In addition, breaks are not worsening either in coverage or
large fluctuations were recorded near the entrance pH value and the almost 10% RH gradient over
to the museum shop and restaurant, where un‐ the height of the ship was halved immediately
conditioned air could enter without control, and [16, p. 7].
in the viewing galleries at the stern, where stronger
lighting and visitors were concentrated [16, pp. 5‐
Figure 5. Thermo‐hygrograph chart of the Vasa generated from
6]. It was then decided to reduce the RH from 60% the climate‐control system data at the Vasa Museum between
to 55% ± 4% and the year‐round temperature to the 16th of June and the 21st of September 2003. The environ‐
mental fluctuations were remarkable. Source: the Swedish Na‐
18.5 ± 1.5°C, equivalent to 10% moisture content
tional Maritime Museums, © All rights reserved.
in the wood [16, p. 6].

In 2004, a new climate system with increased ca‐

pacity and sensitivity was installed in the ship hall
(figure 4). The principle is based on conditioned
air pumped in at low levels, rising around the ship
and sucked out through a duct near the ceiling
[18, p. 173] providing a protective curtain around
the ship. In addition, the visitor counter at the
museum entrance was incorporated into the steer‐
ing parameters. This measure allows preparation

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CRISTINA CABELLO‐BRIONES
Figure 6. Thermo‐hygrograph chart of the Vasa generated from the climate‐control system data at the Vasa Museum from the 16th
of June to the 21st of September 2009. RH and temperature fluctuations were minimized. Source: the Swedish National Maritime
Museums, © All rights reserved.
However, this system could operate at maximum
capacity if the museum gives in to the pressure
of the long queues of visitors in peak season and
allows more public at one time. Then, a stable cli‐
mate could not be guaranteed [16, pp. 8‐9].
Conclusions
Ships that have been rescued from the sea are
among the most popular attractions worldwide,
making maritime museums highly profitable.
The great popularity of these museums ensures
continued funding for research, conservation,
acquisition and promotes cultural tourism. How‐
ever, it also increases the pressure to allow greater
numbers of visitors, making it difficult to maintain
a suitable preventive conservation programme.
Large‐scale tourism has a direct negative effect
on museum indoor climate environments. It pri‐
marily affects relative humidity causing rapid
fluctuations in short periods of time. Variations
in moisture enable the migration of water, dis‐
solved oxygen and salts into the PEG and wood,
and will initiate different chemical reactions.
50
The general concern nowadays is that the control
of relative humidity and temperature is the most
feasible preventive conservation measure in mu‐
seums with archaeological collections and high
tourism. Stabilizing the environment, avoiding
damaging extremes and fluctuations and main‐
taining the relative humidity low (around 55%)
will help preserve PEG treated marine wooden
artefacts [22].
Every museum should develop an environmental
management programme, a carefully elaborated
long‐term maintenance plan. This could include
technical aspects, such as dealing with monitor‐
ing and controlling of the museum environment,
and organisational issues, such as a visitor man‐
agement plan.
Acknowledgments
I wish to acknowledge the Vasa Museum. Special
thanks to Emma Hocker for generously giving me
part of her time to share her experience and know‐
ledge.
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 PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL WOOD
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CRISTINA CABELLO‐BRIONES
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CRISTINA CABELLO‐BRIONES
Conservator
Cristina Cabello‐Briones is a recent postgraduate
in Preventive Conservation at Northumbria Uni‐
versity (Newcastle, UK). Her dissertation, assessed
with distinction, was about Preventive Conserva‐
tion of Wooden Wreck‐Hulls Retrieved from Un‐
derwater Maritime Environments. She is a first
class graduate in the Conservation and Restora‐
tion of Cultural Heritage from the Escuela Superi‐
or de Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Cul‐
turales de Madrid (Spain), speciality in paintings,
where she studied between 2002 and 2005. In
2008, she completed her second first class BA
degree in the History of Art at the Universidad
Autónoma de Madrid (Spain). Her dissertation
was about Historic Restorations of the Roma‐
nesque Mural Paintings at the National Museum
in Catalonia.
She has recently been awarded with La Caixa Schol‐
arship to study a PhD in Conservation in the United
Kingdom commencing in 2011.
Her most recent projects include the research of
the improvements to the Tate Gallery’s transit
frame wrapping system in order to save on ma‐
terials, time and handling of long term collec‐
tion care and the internship at the Reina Sofía
Museum (Madrid, Spain) assessing the risks for
cultural artefacts during mounting of exhibitions.
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