Conservation of bones and teeth

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Our experience in Astypalaia is that the skeletons of young children are remarkably tough, but the pressure of rough stones and soil often cracks bones and the seasonal movement of soil water has caused chemical changes, in addition to the process of decomposition. Whenever possible, we leave well alone and we use no water in cleaning, but when a bone is so delicate that it cannot be removed from the soil without support, we use measures developed with archaeological conservators at the UCL Institute of Archaeology. These include on occasion the use of consolidants and sometimes, for thin sheet-like skull bones which would otherwise disintegrate when lifted, a support which uses fine tissue paper. We have also developed a storage system which supports each individual bone and tooth, and minimises the disruption to them when they are examined. Our site database is also designed to minimize disturbance by giving researchers more information about which boxes and bags they need to open and which can be left undisturbed. Students gain considerable experience with all these techniques during the field school.