TO DIG OR NOT TO DIG?: TECHNOLOGIES AND TEMPERMENTS IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIGS

Technology Tuesday | Jaime Meier

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I was thrilled to get the chance to visit the ancient city of Troy while I was on a tour through Turkey in 2019. The city was made infamous through the stories of Homer – detailing the decade of battle and the adventure home to Greece. The city re-appeared in my undergrad as an example of horrific archaeology practices that have likely destroyed the possibility of finding objects of significant historical value. Through lessons from the past and new technology, these issues have largely been avoided, as reflected in the case of the Terracotta Army in Xi’an, China.  

The City of Troy | Photo courtesy of Jaime Meier

In 1873, Heinrich Schliemann, an amateur archaeologist from Germany, dedicated his post-retirement life to finding the city of Troy due to the impact of the Iliad on his childhood. Without a permit from Turkish authorities and against the advice of other archaeologists, Schliemann began his assult on the site. One of his major projects was digging a giant trench that went down through nine different layers of the city of Troy – uncovering evidence of cities being built on top of each other and also causing untold damage to original buildings. It is incredible that Schliemann was able to find the site and due to his haste and desire for infamy, our understandings of the ancient city may be permanently affected. 

The different layers, indicating a new city, is marked by numbered plaques | Photo courtesy of Jaime Meier

The terracotta army was discovered in 1974 by farmers and the excavation, led by Zhao Kangmin began shortly after. The initial excavation in Pit 1 lasted 10 years, resulting in the discovery of over 1000 terracotta figures. The project was paused in 1986 and would remain untouched until 2009, as the archaeology teams recognized the need for more advanced technology to uncover the remaining objects and patiently waited for the equipment to become available. The excavation of pit 2 went similarly, with efforts being paused in the late-1990s due to concerns around object damage, with projects restarting in 2015 with new technology and strategies. While the discovery of new objects is always exciting, it is imperative to prioritize preservation of the objects and community needs over the personal gains achieved through quickly gathering objects for sale.

The terracotta army | Source

While the ideas and technology surrounding archaeology had changed considerably during the excavations of Troy and the Terracotta Army, an interesting difference is also the locality of the people making decisions regarding the sites. In the case of Troy, Schliemann was a German businessman and amateur archaeology. While the Terracotta Army had the great fortunate of being initially discovered by farmers, who alerted local archaeologists, including Zhao, who went to the site. The difference between these men is not inherently their experience, but rather the respect shown to the sites. As someone not from the area and a budding interest, Schliemann had no issue in exploiting the site based on personal interest and gain, whereas Zhao was able to recognize the importance of the site to not only his history, but the history of others. Unearthing new discoveries is exciting and it is also crucial for all archaeologists to follow the example of Zhao in centering community needs and long-term preservation. 

FOOD DREAMS: FINDING OUR MUSES

A Muse Bouche | Dominica Tang and Lindsay Chisholm

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Happy summer days to you all! We have previously written on pressing issues such as the impact of COVID-19 on food and racism in the food industry. We are putting our other ideas on the back burner for now but we’ll get back to the meat of things in our next articles. In light of the sweltering humid heat of Toronto, we have decided to cool things down and take a more introspective approach to this month’s writing. We thought this would be an opportune time to reflect on our food journeys and dreams through a light conversation with each other.

Mother of All Foodie Muses, Julia Child, photographed in her own kitchen. 
This kitchen was reconstructed within the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

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Dominica: Lindsay, you are one of my favourite people to geek out about food! We’ve picked A Muse Bouche, so clearly, you have a special affinity for food in museums. What do you find so special about it?

Lindsay: Food is universally necessary for survival and intertwined into all aspects of life; through its research we can learn more about what it means to be human. The examination of tangible foodways can help uncover intangible concepts, whether they be reflections on society, culture, economics, and/or politics. Personally, I’m interested in people from past civilizations through the study of “edible archaeology”. What eats at you to study food and museums?

Dominica: Yes I think we both love food for its ability to provide insight on so many facets and intersections of human relationships, ideas, and activities. I'm interested in the broader modes of learning that multi-sensory experiences can provide, and intrigued by food as a medium for immersive learning. Most of my experiences with food studies in academia were purely theory-based, and while I thoroughly enjoyed that, my knowledge was enriched through cooking and baking in the historic kitchens of museums. I’d love for food to breach the walls of historic kitchens and infiltrate the larger museum sphere. COVID-19 has certainly stunted the growth of this aspect of museum learning, and I’m interested to see how museums further develop ways around this new challenge. 

Lindsay: What would your ideal museum food experience look like? Mine would be within a recreation of a Roman-style villa. I’d sample the elaborate tastes of the Roman elite while lounging on a kline atop an ostentatious mosaic within the triclinium. Bring me a globi and some peacock or boar to snack on. Possibly an edible chubby dormouse? 

"The Unswept Floor" mosaic in the Villa on Aventine Hill in Rome, created during Hadrian's reign. Source.

Lindsay: I’d also want to experience the life of a cook for a prominent family in a working kitchen. The grueling task of bread making can be recreated from this time period. The smells of sweat and smoke while enclosed in a hot cooking space would transpose oneself into the mentality of poorer Romans. These harsh and arduous working conditions exemplify what the daily life of a worker might have been like. Too often we get lost in the romanticization and wonders of elite and mythos of emperors, forgetting the larger portion of the population. Further dialogue should then take place within museum contexts that displays artifacts from antiquity in relation to food stuffs and cooking ware. And of course, my forever love of garum (the Monosdium Glutamate (MSG) of the Roman world). Who wouldn’t want to sample putrid fish guts?

Dominica: I love MSG and fermented fish sauce, so I would totally be into that. Echoing your thoughts on focusing on the general population, I want food and other multi-sensory experiences in museums to turn more towards marginalized histories and present-day experiences. MSG is still labeled as unhealthy, which is the legacy of a white scientist’s racism against Chinese immigrants. I still see “MSG-free” labels on Chinese food products and at Chinese restaurants. Of course, food can bring people together, but people also use food to antagonize, demonize, and ostracize a community as we’ve recently seen with the “bat soup” myth. As we’ve mentioned before, museums have a large platform to shed more light on these stories and I think food will play an important role in encouraging greater empathy towards these experiences. The Museum of Food and Drink put on the multi-sensory "Flavor: Making It and Faking It" exhibit, which included the science and history of MSG. The exhibition team offered home-made MSG tablets for visitors to try! 

The end of our conversation concluded with a hypothetical discussion about our new life goal to open a Michelin star restaurant together. The menu will be historic food inspired using kitchen instruments from that era. A historian and a classicist. What a dream team. GoFundMe account coming soon! (Just kidding!) 

                                Till next time in Julia Child's signature sign-off, "Bon Appetit!"

UNEARTHING HISTORY: ALUMNI CHECK-IN WITH KRISTEN MCLAUGHLIN

 Alumni Check-In | Elizabeth Cytko

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Kristen McLaughlin poses with a newly unveiled sign.
Photo courtesy of Kristen McLaughlin

Kristen McLaughlin is the plaques co-ordinator at Heritage Toronto. She graduated the Museum Studies program in 2018, was a former editor of Musings and was the Vice-President of MUSSA. Kristen has a passion for archeology and continues to incorporate it into her work.

What is your favourite memory from your time in the Museum program?

I think one of my favourite memories was when I was Vice-President of MUSSA and we put together the first panel hosted by the MMSt program on Women and Leadership in the Museum/Cultural sector. We invited four brilliant women leaders and our Musings Editor, Serena Ypelaar, asked them questions compiled by students. It was a full house and really addressed what, we felt, was an important issue in the field, such as how women deal with the barriers facing them in the sector, stories of success, advice, etc. I felt so proud to have contributed to the discussion of an important topic, felt empowered by all the powerful women around me, and my feminist heart was very happy.

What did you like about writing for Musings?

I loved being able to research the things I was passionate about and then writing it in an accessible, digestible format. My very first article was an interactive PDF flowchart on quick conservation methods for smaller institutions. My last column on Museums Abroad let me go a bit more in depth into what interested me about museums around the world and how they are different than our standard North American concept of museums and memorialization. I believe traveling, learning, and realizing the bubble of your world is not the world of everyone. I find in academic streams the mindset can sometimes get a little too narrow, and it was a great reminder to be aware of all the heritage issues that are happening around the globe!

What does a typical day entail at your job?

My job is Plaques Coordinator for Heritage Toronto, so I work on all aspects of the heritage plaques you see around the city, from working with applicants, budgets, and funding for the plaques, intensive research, writing, logistics, installation, and more! For me specifically, there is a lot of research involved.

If I am working on a current heritage plaque project, I can spend several days to a week+ researching the content. It's really fun, actually, because I get to use amazing resources like the City of Toronto digitized directories through the Toronto Public Library, or visit the City of Toronto Archives and scroll through tax assessment forms from the 1920s on microfiche. Other days it can be lots of emails, as plaques don't just mean research! I am frequently going back and redesigning and researching. If it's one of our larger enamel plaques, my day can also include finding appropriate images and requesting or ordering high resolution versions.

There is also a lot of logistics works: how do we actually install the plaque? Whose permission do we need? How do you make sure the plaque won't hit a pipe? So it's a great mix of creativity, due diligence, and organization and planning, all things I enjoy! We also have public plaque unveiling events throughout the year, and those are fun too because you get to meet and interact with the groups who are super passionate about the topics of the plaque. It's a great reminder that the goal of our plaques department is creating an accessible platform for various facets of Toronto's heritage.

Kristen (left) poses with Herman Custodio (centre) and Emily MacRae (right.)
Photo courtesy of Kristen McLaughlin

How does your archeological fieldwork and your work as a historian inform your museum work for Heritage Toronto?

What we are trying to do in the plaques program is to make stories accessible and diverse. I have worked with various Indigenous communities over the years in different kinds of jobs and it is important to me to make sure that we fight to get Indigenous stories about Toronto told. Archaeological fieldwork has taught me the importance of being humble and respectful, which are key in many situations when plaques can focus on histories and stories that are not necessarily my background or experience. I have learned that is important to learn from and listen to those who know better. I also came onto the job with a general knowledge of Toronto's pre-settler history, which I think could be a valuable point of view to have in a program that, historically, has focused on settler stories but is now working diligently to change that!

How do you see the role of museums evolving in Canada?

Museums seem to be at a crux of existence right now. On one hand you have them as stalwart knowledge keepers of bygone eras, there to educate the masses, etc. On the other hand, they are starting to work towards becoming more community spaces; having community events, opening up to ideas of community consultation and exhibition creation, etc. How do you market to people so they still see museums as something different but worth going to? How do you do this and still exist as an educational institution? Their backgrounds are so complex, as is the future. My thesis work focused on small museums in Alberta and their place in the community. It's quite different than bigger institutions, like the ROM or RAM, for example, and not necessarily one that can (or should) be copied by institutions of bigger sizes. I see them working towards becoming more community-focused, but I see that being quite difficult to pull off, especially for the larger ones.

What advice would you give to museum professionals entering the sector today?


If you can't find a job that suits you where you live now, apply countrywide! I've done plenty of Skype interviews. Go on a trip and forget about school for a while! The job field is not all there is to life. Be sure to explore and enjoy life in other ways, too. Which I know is hard when we have loans, debts, etc. But we have to try and figure out a good balance! I'm such a big fan of getting out of the comfort zone. Go do it! If you're scared of speaking in front of crowds, apply for a job where you'll have to public speak a lot—I did that, and it was terrifying, but now public speaking is no problem at all. Skill learned!

TO SAVE OR NOT TO SAVE?

CONSERVATION TIPS & TRICKS

BY: SELIN KAHRAMANOGLU

Welcome to my final article for the summer! I'd like to indulge in a little ancient Greek symposium, and explore a hotly debated topic in conservation practices: How do you decide which artifacts deserve saving? *sips wine* Let’s discuss.

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The reason why this question raises some eyebrows is because everyone’s has an opinion. Even professionals disagree on the circumstances surrounding object conservation. Unfortunately, the alternative is quite drastic: Without conscious care, objects will naturally disintegrate, and in most cases there’s no possible recovery. As a conservator, quite literally, the object’s life is in your hands. Will you save it, or let it go?

Let’s look at three common criteria that help conservators make this decision easier:

1) Quality of Condition 

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Friend, if your artifact looks like it's beyond repair, then it’s probably too late. Based on how much time and resources is needed to recover the original state of the object, then the conservator will decide if it is worth the effort. It doesn’t matter how wonderful the object may be, if it’s already too damaged, then conservators are less likely to work with it.

• A shattered vase, a skull with missing teeth, a painting with discolouration, a book with an unraveling binding, etc. – These are all objects that can be saved. The tasks may be complex, but that just means that it will take more time. It is not impossible.

2) Necessary Tools

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Do you need the pigment of a plant that only grows in some inhabitable land? Then, my condolences, your object can't be saved. Not all conservators are fortunate enough to have every tool at their disposal. Even if the conservator is prepared to put in the extra effort, acquiring new tools takes funding, and not every institution is willing to pay a few thousand dollars to save a single ceramic plate. 

• Let’s say that you have a generous sponsor, who buys all the tools you’ve been dreaming about. Do you know how to use them? Even with all the latest technologies, conservators must have the expertise needed to use these tools, which can take years to learn and special training.

3) Cultural Heritage Value

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Here’s where things get tricky. When discussing conservation, this is the topic that causes the most disagreements among professionals. Conservators need to decide whether or not the object is a cherished part of history to determine if it should be saved. There's lots of questions that need answering, and decisions can be swayed by personal views. 

• Is the artifact the only one of its kind? Who has the right to decide if it's historically valuable? What criteria are they using? How was the object acquired by the museum? Is it useful in the future? – There’s a lot of uncertainty that accompanies questions of value because it is based on individual perspectives and interpretation.

Thankfully, conservation is not always so complex. Conservators often debate with each other to gain new insights, and challenge one another for alternative approaches. Professionals practice open communication and partnership when deciding to conserve an object. Many times, conservators agree about how to best protect an artifact. 

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Remember: If an object is considered unqualified for conservation treatment, it is not lost forever. Some artifacts are meant to deteriorate as part of their meaningfulness to the culture. These days, objects can be reproduced, or preserved through digital means (i.e. 3D scanning, virtual archaeology). Conservators just try to do the best that they can for each object, and roll with the punches!

The next time you think about conservation at the museum or archaeological site (check out my first and second articles), consider the above criteria and don’t be afraid to ask the tougher questions! Discussions have the potential to spark new ideas. *sips more wine* 

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What do you think? Comment below! 

Further Reading:
https://www.nedcc.org/preservation101/session-9/9selection-for-preservation.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-berry/why-preserving-history-matters_b_1446631.html.
 

GET YOUR TOOTHRBUSH, WE'RE GOING ON A DIG.

CONSERVATION TIPS & TRICKS

BY: SELIN KAHRAMANOGLU

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Grab your gear, because we're heading back to the dig site! This article discusses my favourite part of archaeological conservation: Cleaning artifacts!

The best way to protect a newly excavated object is to stabilize it on site, before shipping it off to the museum. This means we need to get out our toothbrushes, and make that hunk of dirty pottery squeaky clean!

Step 1: Don't Touch It (Yet).

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Before removing an object from the ground, make sure that you've cleaned around it as best as you can without dislodging it.

• Level the trench. Use brushes and dust pans to clean the area around the artifact, so that the ground is smooth. When the surrounding are is flat, then it is easier to see how the object is resting inside the ground, which helps you decide how to remove it safely!
• Careful where you step! Avoid getting really close to the artifact, or using water and heavier tools (like trowels) around the object. These will disrupt the integrity of the dirt layers under the artifact, which can cause your object to move unexpectedly, and puts it at risk for breaking!

Tip: When you remove an artifact from the dirt, all the elements that supported it and allowed it to survive all these years, will also be removed. This is why conservationists focus on preserving an object's original state for as long as possible.

Step 2: GENTLY Scrub Away Dirt

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Do you need to buy fancy tools and clean the objects vigorously? Absolutely not!

• Get tools that are easy to carry. Archaeologists rely on sponges, soft toothbrushes, paintbrushes, and toothpicks, because they're efficient and light-weight. I once cleaned an ancient Roman's teeth with thread instead of floss, and it worked really well!
• No need to scrub very hard. Hold the object firmly in your hand, or place it on a clean, soft surface (like a table covered in cardboard). Then, use circular motions and water (when possible) to remove stubborn dirt as best as you can. Deeper cleaning will happen at the lab.

Tip: No matter what your tools are, they should have only ever been used to clean excavated objects (i.e. Please, don't get toothpaste from a personal toothbrush on a two-thousand-year-old shard of Greek pottery).

Step 3: Summon Your Inner Paparazzi.

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Most archaeologists still do an artist's sketch of the artifacts when they uncover it. These days, a regular digital camera is sufficient to capture the artifact at every stage of its life, from trench to museum display.

• Create more evidence. Photos help track the changes you've made during the conservation treatment, and the effects of your methods. Take photos of the object from all sides, and use a ruler to scale its size.
• Work that camera! Don't hold back, and take lots of photos. Think of the conservator like a friend that couldn't go on vacation with you; conservators can't always be at the site during the moment of discovery, so archaeologists use photos as a reliable way to retell the story in detail.

Tip: If the object wasn't cleaned properly in the previous stage, then this will show up in the photograph. Proper cleaning allows the archaeologist to clearly see if the artifact has any weak points that may cause the object to break in storage or in transport.

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That's it for this article, and thank you for reading! My final summer article will be posted this July.

Here are some additional resources:

https://sha.org/conservation-facts/faq/processing-materials/

https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/archaeological-conservation-services/conservation-scientific-services-archaeology.html

ATTENTION ARCHAEOLOGISTS: (CAREFULLY) DROP EVERYTHING & LISTEN UP

CONSERVATION TIPS & TRICKS

BY: SELIN KAHRAMANOGLU

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Raise your hand if you like digging skeletons and things out of the ground! Of course, I’m talking about wanting to excavate ancient tombs and uncover lost treasures.  

Did you know that the moment an object is found at an archaeological site, it undergoes conservation treatment? Archaeologists are the first line of defense when it comes to safeguarding the condition of artifacts. If you’re an Indiana Jones wannabe like me, then here are some tips that you should know...

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1)   Learn About the Upcoming Weather Forecast 

Let’s say that you just finished a labouring summer day on an ancient Roman dig site. Your team is starting to pack up to go home for the day, when BAM, you find the edge of a skull peering out from the bottom of your trench. What do you do?

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Your actions actually depend on the weather. Natural light and warm weather are considered the most favourable conditions. What about the rain and wind? Moisture in the soil can make the uncovered geographical layers unstable and dislodge artifacts.

Tip: Your artifact is safer in the ground. Typically, archeologists will use a tarp with weights (or large rocks) along the edges to cover artifacts that are still secured in the dirt.

2)   Label Everything

When you’ve got lots of objects coming out of the ground, it’s easy to lose track of exactly where and how they were found. At this point, you need to channel Monica Geller and get your label maker out.

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Conservation is all about protecting the original. The last thing you want to do is damage the site or the object, and then never be able to fix it. Don’t forget these two basic steps to cover all your bases:

• Break out your ruler and camera: Before taking it out of the ground, you need to measure where the object is in the trench, and in relation to the rest of the excavation site. Then, take lots of photo evidence.
• Someone get this girl a bag: Clear plastic bags are your new best friend. They’re easy to write on, with the inside visible, and provide protection. Label the site code and the geological level!

3) Identify the Material and How to Safeguard It 

Remember that Roman skull you found? It’s made of bone. Here’s a little secret: Bone that is over a few hundred years old is not very strong. It breaks…really easily.

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Depending on the material of the object uncovered, there are some things that you can do to keep the integrity of its structure until it’s ready for cleaning: 

• Keep it in the ground for as long as you can: If the object survived that long in the dirt, it can last another couple of days. 
• Until it’s cleaned, replicate the site conditions: Artifacts are fragile! Place them in a bin full of rice, and store that in a cool, dark place (to mimic dirt, but cleaner). 
•  After it’s cleaned, get the data: Before you accidentally knock something over, weigh the object, get its measurements, and take lots of pictures of it. Then, analyze the data!

Tip: A museum conservator will want to know what the object looked like when you found it, in what conditions it was found, and how to keep it that way.

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There you have it! Here’s some tips for you future Lara Crofts. Now you know the basics on how you can conserve the condition of an object that is fresh out of the ground!

Need further reading? Check out these websites:

http://nautarch.tamu.edu/CRL/conservationmanual/File1.htm#Conservation%20Ethics

https://www.conservation-us.org/specialty-topics/archaeological-conservation#.WvHCwZch3IU

http://www.historydiscussion.net/art/process-of-preservation-of-the-artifacts-archaeological-findings/1823