Conservation of the Archaeological Finds from Roman Period

Abstract

A degree of preservation of iron artefacts depends on the type of underground environment and the type of corrosion products formed on their surface. This paper analyses the conditions of an archaeological artefact made of iron, which was found to originate from the Roman period. The iron corrosion products, goethite, lepidocrocite and magnetite (determined by the X-ray diffraction method) have been noticed in the corrosion products of the artefact. The ion chromatography analysis has revealed chloride and sulphate anions, pointing to the necessity of having artefacts treated in adequate solutions immediately after their excavation. It has been found that the EDTA solution is very efficient in the process of desalination of the artefact. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of the corrosion product types and the effects of applying the EDTA solution, otherwise not commonly used for desalination of iron objects. This method was applied here due to the complex structures of the found archaeological artefacts and the presence of copper alloys besides iron. The aim of this paper is to determine the type of influence corrosion products have on an artefact and to determine the effect of desalination treatment.