[Bonetools] doubt in taphonomy

[Christian Küchelmann]

Dear Alice and Marina,

things happening to the find during research work, curation or achive 
storage are part of the taphonomic history of an object.

The removability of conservational agents is a big discussion in 
preparators sciences. Some are removable others are not. The first thing 
you need to do is to find out what kind of chemical was used for the 
conservation. You are lucky if there is some kind of report, protocol or 
whatever giving information about the conservation. In many older cases 
there is no information and this means you have to make a chemical 
analysis (therefore if you ever preserve any kind of specimen keep in 
mind to make a note somewhere!). This is a topic I would like to includ 
in the WBRG website but I have to admit that I am not that far that I 
can give results or contacts yet.

Best

Christian

-- 
KNOCHENARBEIT

Hans Christian Küchelmann
Diplom-Biologe

Konsul-Smidt-Str. 30,  D-28217 Bremen,  Germany
tel: +421 - 61 99 177
fax: +421 - 37 83 540
mail: info at knochenarbeit.de
web: http://www.knochenarbeit.de

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h13017cho at helka.iif.hu schrieb:
> Dear Marina,
> ????? To my mind the vanish is like the end point of a taphonomic 
> process unless conditions in storage areexteme and the causes further 
> degradation to the artifact.. It is VERY annoying to encounter such 
> treatment. It was done commonly with the best intentions on many older 
> collections. In Hungary it is also very common to put inventory numbers 
> on the only 'smooth surface' (read best preserved surface) of bone tools 
> and then - just to make sure the 'reading' becomes impossible- a dash of 
> varnish is slapped on top of that. As far as I know there is noway of 
> removing the varnish without destoying the bone/antler surface beneath.
> ???? Does anyone out there knowof ways of at least removing a small 
> portionof this horrible stuff without causing further damage?
> 
> Alice
> Dr.Alice M.Choyke
> Aquincum Museum
> H-1131 Budapest
> Zahony u. 4
> Hungary
> Telephone: (36-1 240-4268)
> H13017cho at helka.iif.hu