Ceramic Conservation in Archaeological Museums: The Current Situation in Northwestern Argentina (Province of Catamarca).

DE LA FUENTE, G. A. AND M. C. PAÉZ

Glass and Ceramics Conservation

Archetype

Lugar: London, UK; Año: 2007; p. 180 - 188

During the last four years, a survey was conducted in several archaeological museums in the Catamarca Province of Northwestern Argentina with the aim of obtaining as clear a picture as possible of the conservation conditions of ceramic objects and their museum environments. The survey recorded several variables regarding the main conservation problems affecting ceramic objects. Basically, we observed that most of the archaeological ceramic objects are affected by different kinds of soluble and insoluble salts, as well as by structural problems endangering their integrity.  In addition, they generally do not receive adequate conservation treatment.  The collections are managed by people without any conservation training and the museum buildings in many cases are not appropriate to house archaeological collections.