4: Wood

Wooden artefacts are widely discovered during archaeological excavations due to their common use for centuries in a variety of applications from everyday utensils to weaponry to ships. In addition, collections can often possess a large variety of wood in the form of furniture, picture frames or even building structures themselves. Wood can be a challenge to conserve due to the mechanical, biological and chemical changes which can occur, whether this is due to removal from its burial environment, or from prolonged exposure to aggressive environments. This chapter will explore the mechanisms by which wood degradation occurs, discuss the methods by which this damage can be detected and assessed, and give the currently available treatments to try and mitigate further degradation. A review will also be given of current research to further our understanding of the material properties of degraded wood, and the development of new treatments.