AIC's 46th Annual Meeting

Preliminary results will be presented from an in-situ assessment of the chemical microenvironment of an Early Bronze Age site in Central Anatolia. The work involved assessing the pH, the redox potential and chloride ion activity and was carried out in August 2017 on the soil of the Kaman-Kalehöyük excavation site in Turkey of the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology to ascertain the changes that occur in the burial and post excavation environment. A chloride ion electrode, pH meter, and corrosion meters with appropriate reference electrodes and calibrating materials were used. Surface chloride and pH mapping was carried out on excavated copper alloy objects and correlated with the archaeological profiles and records. Initial measurements indicate that it will be possible to prepare a degradation and conservation index as part of a mechanism to determine on a systematic basis corrosion behavior and which objects are in greatest need of conservation intervention. Treatment priority score cards will be prepared based on the significance and conservation needs assessments.