On-site conservation at Amara West in Sudan: 80 years in the making (original) (raw)

The ancient town of Amara West was built and mainly inhabited during the Ramesside Period (ca. 1300-1070 BCE), as part of the pharaonic control of Upper Nubia (modern northern Sudan), and is located on the west bank of the River Nile. Since 2008 a British Museum research project has been investigating aspects of lived experience and the entanglement of Egyptian and Nubian cultures. Excavations in the town and two associated cemeteries are complemented by a range of collaborative scientific research programs undertaken by the British Museum and several university partners. A conservator has been part of the excavation team, particularly focusing on the in-situ consolidation of poorly preserved coffin fragments (i.e. decayed wood and painted plaster) to attempt recovery of fragments with a painted surface. In addition ivory, wood, metal (some with associated mineral preserved organic materials), ceramic, faience, low/unfired clay, beads of various materials, one naturally mummified fish and ostrich egg were treated with the aim of stabilization and/or reconstruction to enable more detailed examination and/or analyses. Substantial attention was given to addressing concerns around the storage and longer term preservation of the materials. As it is not easy to source many commonly used conservation materials and equipment in Sudan,