ITALIAN MINISTRY FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE AND ACTIVITIES SECRETARY GENERAL

DHI QAR PROVINCIAL RECONSTRUCTION TEAM

TRAINING COURSE FOR CONSERVATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIALS SECOND SESSION

MITTICA 28/05/2009 – 11/06/2009

SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITIES

The Superior Institute for Conservation and Restoration, under the overall co-ordination of the Italian Embassy in Iraq and in tight collaboration with the central and local representatives of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, undertook the second session of the training course addressed to four staff of the Nasiriyah SBAH’s office. The course has been focused on the conservation of ceramic both in site and in the museum and has been useful for the planning of the nine-months training course that will be carried out under Italian funds. The course included class lectures and laboratory exercises. The trainees were 1- Wisal Naem Jasim 2- Wasan Sahib Isa 3- Jamal Abdul Ali 4- Qasim Khalaf

under the co-ordination of mr Abdulamir Hamndani, Dhi Qar Director of SBAH. The trainers were Mr Alessandro Bianchi, General co-ordinator, Mr Claudio Prosperi Porta, Architect, Mrs Cristina Passeri, Conservator. Stress tests The laboratory activities have been focused on ancient as well as modern materials. Among the ancient, a couple of original bricks collected on the site have been treated. After the intervention the bricks have been brought back to the site with the agreement of the local SBAH, in order to check the impact of the extreme environmental parameters on the materials applied, and so collect useful data for the planning of future interventions.

JOURNAL OF THE ACTIVITIES

Minute of the meeting between Mr Abdulamir Hamdani, Nasiryah SBAH, and the working group of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities

Collection of the original material from the site for training purposes

On the 28th of May 2009, a survey on the site of Ur has been made, to visit the temples of E-Dub-Lal-Mab and E-Nun-Mah. Since the central SBAH has authorized to work on the original artefacts for training the local staff on the conservation of ceramic material, whose start up had been planned for the same day, some relics have been collected. Two bricks in bad condition were chosen, on which the trainees could deal with different problems of intervention, such as disaggregation, flaking, cracking and efflorescence. The samples, one placed outside the south/west wall of the E-Dub-Lal-Mab Temple, the other inside the south/east wall of the E-Nun-Mah Temple, were drawn, photographed, collected and brought to Mittica, in a previously prepared room, set as laboratory.

Moreover, a fragment of brick, where saline efflorescence was very evident, was taken. Some shards out of context were eventually collected, to possibly extend the training to superficial cleaning, connections searching and assembling of fired artefacts.

� Introduction of the course by Dr Bianchi, investigating the competence and the need of the

Iraqi trainees for a better design of the future training activities. � Theoretical lecture on the constituent material, the ceramic classification and the

manufacturing techniques.

31/05/2009

� Theoretical lecture on deterioration agents and their effect on ceramic material

� Preparation of the different solutions needed for the practical activity (Mowital B60HH 2,5,10,15% in Ethanole and Paraloid B72HH 5% in acetone)

� Cleaning of the sample n°2, with scalpel, brush and cotton swab with water, ethanol, and acetone

� Desalination test by wrapping a small fragment in cotton wool drenched with distilled water

1/06/2009 � Theoretical lecture on conservation treatments

(documentation, cleaning) � Cleaning of the sample n°2, with scalpel, brush

and cotton swab with water, ethanol, and acetone � After checking the good result of the desalination

test, desalination treatment of the fragments with the heavier saline efflorescence

2/06/2009

� Theoretical lecture on conservation treatments (consolidation, bonding, filling) � Removal of the compress for the

desalination. Explaining that the treatment should have been longer, we decided to continue the restoration of the brick, in order to be able to finish it within the course duration. The compress was repeated only on one fragment, where the efflorescence was still very evident

� Desalination treatment of the out-of-context brick fragment, with the thick saline incrustations � Cleaning of the smaller fragments of the brick n.1 � Consolidation of the fragments, with a solution of Microacril in water (1:3). A thicker solution

was tried (1:1), but it did not penetrate. � Consolidation of cracks and scales with a solution of Microacril in water (3:1) � Fixing small detached scales with Primal B60H

3/06/2009

• Visit to the Temple of E-Dub-Lal-Mah, to check water absorption on various bricks of the walls

• Completion of the cleaning of the fragment of both bricks

• Consolidation of one fragment of brick n. 2 (see picture) with Paraloid 2,5% and 5% in acetone, to test if Paraloid penetrated better than Microacril. The test was positive, though not fully satisfactory

• Search of the connection among the fragments • Application of a primer (Mowital B60HH 10% in

ethanol) on the joint of brick n. 2, which will be glued with epoxy resin

• Bonding of some fragments of brick n. 2 with epoxy resin UHU PLUS

6/06/2009

• Removal of the excess glue with a hot blade • End of the bonding of brick n. 2 with UHU PLUS • Bonding of brick n. 1 with Mowital applied in successive

layers at 2%,5%,10%, 15% • Preparation of the filling for the brick n.1 by mixing sand

with a solution of Primal in water (1:1) • Preparation of the filling for the brick n.2 by colouring the

gypsum with sand and natural pigments.

8/06/2009 • Visual examination of some fragments of a terracotta coffin, dating to the Parthian period

(125 b.C – 240 a.D) and coming from the Museum of Nasiryah. The fragments had been heavily restored; they had been glued with a glue that now is looking brownish, and filled with white plaster abundantly covering the original surface.

• Check of the filling samples: the one with Primal has been lightened with white pigment, the other has been added with pigments to match the colour of brick n.2, and a new sample has been done

• Filling of the brick n. 1 with a mixture of sand, white pigment and Primal in water (1:1). Only one side of the brick was filled to leave time for the cleaning of the coffin’s fragment

• Mechanical cleaning of the fragment with scalpel and with the help of a small chisel, to remove the thicker layers. The gypsum has been softened with small compresses of water.

9/06/2009 • Removal of the plaster and glue from the fragments of the

coffin. • Filling of the brick n.2 with coloured plaster.

10/06/2009 • Cleaning of the coffin’s fragments • Filling of the brick n.2 with coloured plaster • Searching of the connection among fragments and bonding

of two modern vases, previously broken, with Mowital in ethanol

• Light cleaning with brush and cotton swab with ethanol of a pottery jar dating to the Sumerian period (Third Dynasty of Ur 2113-2006 b.C) and coming from the Museum of Nassirya

• Filling of the modern vases with plaster.

The treated bricks placed back in the site

11/06 –

• End of filling of the brick n. 2 • Finishing of the filling of one modern vase • Bonding and filling of the other vase • Selection of the materials to donate to the Museum staff • Sorting put and packing the materials and equipments used for the curse