Applicability of X-ray imaging to monitor the internal condition of waterlogged archaeological wood – pre-, intra-, and post-conservation

James Harvie; Jens Aagaard; Jörg Stelzner; Susan Braovac; Ingrid Stelzner; Nanna Bjerregaard Pedersen

doi:10.14568/cp39271

Authors

James Harvie Royal Danish Academy, Institute of Conservation, Esplanaden 34, 1263, Copenhagen K, Denmark https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1596-0191
Jens Aagaard Royal Danish Academy, Institute of Conservation, Esplanaden 34, 1263, Copenhagen K, Denmark
Jörg Stelzner IMPALA (Imaging Platform at LEIZA), Ludwig-Lindenschmit-Forum 1, 55116 Mainz, Germany https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1295-5894
Susan Braovac Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, Kabelgata 34, 0580, Oslo, Norway
Ingrid Stelzner Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie, Mainz, Germany https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7988-2162
Nanna Bjerregaard Pedersen Royal Danish Academy, Institute of Conservation, Esplanaden 34, 1263, Copenhagen K, Denmark https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5744-939X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14568/cp39271

Keywords:

Waterlogged archaeological wood, Conservation, Condition, X-ray

Abstract

During conservation treatment, the greatest threat to waterlogged archaeological wooden (WAW) objects is collapse and/or shrinkage, which can occur during the drying process. Recent work undertaken by the CuTAWAY project revealed, using Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), that the extent of adverse structural changes found internally in conserved WAW was far greater than generally anticipated. Suggesting a need for conservators to be able to monitor and assess the internal condition of WAW, prior to, during and after treatment. In this study, it was found that X-ray imaging offers a faster and more widely available alternative to micro-CT scanning. While the images are lower resolution than their micro-CT counterparts, they were able to make out the vast majority of internal damages present in a range of samples during various stages of treatment. However, the correct interpretation of internal damage in the X-ray images requires an underlying knowledge of the wood material.

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