Investigating the causes of deterioration and the appropriate conservation treatment method of an excavated wooden schooner found in coastal area of Bangladesh
Dublin Core
Title
Investigating the causes of deterioration and the appropriate conservation treatment method of an excavated wooden schooner found in coastal area of Bangladesh
Description
A waterlogged wooden schooner was collected from Kuakata, a famous coastal region of Bangladesh, during
the excavation period from 23rd December, 2012 to 27th February, 2013 under the Directorate of Archaeology.
This schooner was measured 72 feet in length and weighed about 90 tons in wet conditions. A lot of valuable
information regarding trade relations with other countries in ancient times, migration of people of certain
communities, species of wood etc. can be obtained from this artifact. Unfortunately, the schooner has been
kept under a canopy in the open for nearly 10 years after excavation without any consultation from
conservation experts. The condition of this artifact was found to be extremely damaged and fragile when
visited on 21st September, 2022. Attacks of various types of microorganisms and insects were observed in
most of the woods. Different types of physical changes were also found in the wood of the schooner. Even the
original shape of the artifact was disfigured by shrinkage, cracking, twisting and splitting of wood. It is known
that the conservation treatment of waterlogged wood consists of four steps such as dehydration, substitution,
consolidation and controlled drying processes. These are very expensive and lengthy processes. Now it is
impossible to apply a conventional conservation treatment method on the wooden schooner, because the
artifact has already lost all characteristics of waterlogged wood. There are three objectives of this study: (i) to
investigate the causes of deterioration of wood, (ii) to revive the characteristics of waterlogged wood and (iii)
to recommend an easy and appropriate conservation treatment strategy for this waterlogged wooden schooner.
Recommendation of treatment strategy is the most important part of this study. Considering the capability,
time duration and financial cost, the treatment strategy will be introduced. After the successful completion of
this study, the countries like Bangladesh will protect their waterlogged wooden heritage using the new method.
the excavation period from 23rd December, 2012 to 27th February, 2013 under the Directorate of Archaeology.
This schooner was measured 72 feet in length and weighed about 90 tons in wet conditions. A lot of valuable
information regarding trade relations with other countries in ancient times, migration of people of certain
communities, species of wood etc. can be obtained from this artifact. Unfortunately, the schooner has been
kept under a canopy in the open for nearly 10 years after excavation without any consultation from
conservation experts. The condition of this artifact was found to be extremely damaged and fragile when
visited on 21st September, 2022. Attacks of various types of microorganisms and insects were observed in
most of the woods. Different types of physical changes were also found in the wood of the schooner. Even the
original shape of the artifact was disfigured by shrinkage, cracking, twisting and splitting of wood. It is known
that the conservation treatment of waterlogged wood consists of four steps such as dehydration, substitution,
consolidation and controlled drying processes. These are very expensive and lengthy processes. Now it is
impossible to apply a conventional conservation treatment method on the wooden schooner, because the
artifact has already lost all characteristics of waterlogged wood. There are three objectives of this study: (i) to
investigate the causes of deterioration of wood, (ii) to revive the characteristics of waterlogged wood and (iii)
to recommend an easy and appropriate conservation treatment strategy for this waterlogged wooden schooner.
Recommendation of treatment strategy is the most important part of this study. Considering the capability,
time duration and financial cost, the treatment strategy will be introduced. After the successful completion of
this study, the countries like Bangladesh will protect their waterlogged wooden heritage using the new method.
Creator
Rokonuzzaman S
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Rokonuzzaman, S.. 2023. “Investigating the causes of deterioration and the appropriate conservation treatment method of an excavated wooden schooner found in coastal area of Bangladesh.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Arjun Rao. In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL: https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/2026
Files
Citation
Rokonuzzaman S, “Investigating the causes of deterioration and the appropriate conservation treatment method of an excavated wooden schooner found in coastal area of Bangladesh,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed October 12, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/2026.