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Historic Preservation Home > Syllabi > 200 Level Courses > HISP 208 - Introduction to Conservation

HISP 208- Introduction to Conservation

DATE, TIMES AND LOCATION:

Fall Semester 2008

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 am  to 10:45 am
Location: Combs Hall 012, Basement  laboratory

INSTRUCTOR:
 Lisa Young
Objects Conservator
Alexandria Conservation Services, ltd.
Annandale, Va  22003
Cell phone: 703-328-1170

OFFICE HOURS
Tuesday and Thursday 9:00 to 9:30 am; 10:45 to 11:00; or otherwise by appointment

OFFICE
121 Combs Hall; Phone: 540-654-1312

E-mail: lyoung@umw.edu
Preferred to be contacted by email

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  This class provides an overview of conservation as a professional discipline. The class will have no scientific laboratory component.  The course will combine the theory of conservation practice, history and ethics of the profession with hands-on practical exercises carrying out what is learned in lectures. Students will learn how to identify decayed materials and learn about their degradation during burial.  Basic field conservation pertaining to lifting, packing, transport and storing finds will be examined.  Conservation assessment and treatment in of objects in terms of proposing a treatment plan, documentation, stabilization and remedial treatment techniques will be discussed.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

  • Provide an understanding of the nature of conservation and conservation as a profession; define a conservator’s role and examine the discipline 
  • Introduce fundamental conservation techniques and documentation methods, especially with reference to archaeological materials
  • Examine current ethical debates in conservation
  • Generate awareness of what the range of conservation specialists do
  • Become familiar with conservation terminology, ethics, conservation resources, and collaboration with conservation and other disciplines

CLASS REQUIREMENTS

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:
The following books are required and will be available in the University Bookstore:

Elizabeth Pye, Caring for the Past, James & James (2000) ISBN: 1902916107

Landry et al, The Winterthur Guide to Caring for Your Collection, The Winterthur Museum (2000)

 ISBN: 0912724528

Additional required and suggestion readings will be provided and will be posted on Blackboard.  Others will be handed out in class.

ASSIGNMENTS AND TESTS:
The student is responsible for all required readings and lecture materials. Additional handouts for class will be made available on Blackboard. All provided materials should be considered materials that will be used to complete both in-class and out of class assignments.  There will be one written assignment, five in-class practicals and a final exam to form a final mark in the following way.

Assignment 1:  Position paper on Ethics, 1 page, Due Tuesday, September 9th-  Discussion in class (10%)

Assignment 2:  Practical in class, Interpretation of X-rays, Due Tuesday, September 23rd (15%)

Assignment 3:  Practical in class, Lifting Fragile Pottery, Due Thursday, October 9th (15%)

Assignment 4: Practical in class, Molding Artifacts, Due Thursday, October 30th  (15%)

Assignment 5: Practical in class, Plastics Testing, Due Thursday, November 13th (15%)

Assignment 6: Practical in class, Adhering Broken Ceramics, Tuesday, December 2nd (15%)

Final Exam (15%)

EXAM:
The final examination will be on Thursday, December 11th at 8:30 am .

GRADING:
Letter grade descriptions quoted below are taken from the Academic Catalog. This and the Dictionary of Academic Regulations should be consulted for further explanation of these and all other grading details and other academic regulations. When numerical grades are used in computation, I use the following equivalents:

below 60 F

80-82 B-

60-66 D

83-86 B

67-69 D+

87-89 B+

70-72 C-

90-93 A-

73-76 C

94-100 A

77-79 C+

FINAL GRADE:
Please note: No passing grade can be achieved in this course without completion of all practical exercises. You must be present in class and participate in the exercise to receive a grade. All out of class assignments and readings are required. 

COURSE SYLLABUS:

Week 1: Reading: Pye Chapters 1-2

Conservation: An Introduction to the Practice of Conservation
Tuesday 26 August 2008 An Introduction to Archaeology and Heritage Conservation
Thursday 28 August 2008 Conservation Terminology; Restoration vs Conservation

Week 2: Reading: Pye Chapter 3 and Ethics (pgs 32-35; and 142-148)

History and Ethics of Conservation

Tuesday 2 September 2008 History of conservation- Guest Lecturer Emily Williams
Thursday 4 September 2008 Conservation Ethics; Restoration vs Conservation

Week 3: Reading: Pye Chapter 8
Ethics continued- The Role of the Conservator
Tuesday 9 September 2008 Discussion of Ethics position papers (10%)- in class
Thursday 11 September 2008 Benchwork and Beyond- Conservation and Collaboration

Week 4: Reading: Pye Chapter 6
What Conservation is Really all About
Tuesday 16 September 2008 Planning /Conservation Decisions/ Preventive Conservation

Thursday 18 September 2008 Documentation

Week 5: Reading: Pye Chapter 6 (pgs. 99-111) and Landry Chapter 2
X-radiography and Non-Destructive Analysis
 Tuesday 23 September 2008  Discussion of x-radiography and X-radiography practical (Grade #2-15%)
 Thursday 25 September 2008  Non-destructive Analysis- Testing

Week 6: Conservation Laboratory Safety and Equipment check list (Handout)
Conservation Laboratories and Safety
Tuesday 30 September 2008  Conservation Laboratories/ Health and Safety
Thursday 2 October 2008   Materials in conservation

Week 7: Field Conservation and Lifting Artifacts (handouts)

Conservation Strategies for the Field
Tuesday 7 October 2008  Recovery, storage and transport of artifacts from field to lab
Thursday 9 October 2008  Lifting Techniques and Lifting Fragile Pottery Practical (Grade #3-15%) 

MID-SEMESTER VACATION BEGINS AT 5 P.M. FRIDAY OCTOBER 10th AND ENDS AT 8 A.M. WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 15th.

Week 8: Reading: Pye Chapter 5
Thursday 16 October 2008 Decay Mechanisms of Artifacts

Week 9: Reading: Landry Chapter 8, Handouts provided
METALS- Technology and Decay
Tuesday 21 October 2008 Iron and Copper Alloys

Thursday 23 October 2008 Lead alloys, white metal alloys and composites

Week 10: Reading: Landry Chapter 5, Handouts provided
INORGANICS
Tuesday 28 October 2008  Ceramics and Glass
Thursday 30 October 2008 Brick, Stone; Practical Molding Artifacts (#4-15%)

Week 11: Reading: Landry Chapter 4 and 6, Handouts provided

ORGANICS

Tuesday 4 November 2008 Waterlogged Wood
Thursday 6 November 2008 Leather and textiles

Week 12: Reading: Landry Chapter 4, Handouts provided
ORGANICS (cont)
Tuesday 11 November 2008  Bone, ivory, tortoiseshell and unique materials
Thursday 13 November 2008  Identification of Plastics –Testing Plastics Practical (Grade #5-15%)

Week 13: Reading Pye Chapter 6 (pgs 111-120); Chapter 7

Conservation Condition Reporting and Treatment Plans

Tuesday 18 November 2008 Condition assessment and risk assessment- surveys

Thursday 20 November 2008- Conservation treatment proposals, plan and investigative cleaning

Week 14: Reading Landry et al Chapter 1

Preventive Conservation
Tuesday 25 November 2008 Preventive Conservation and Storage

THANKSGIVING VACATION BEGINS AT 8 AM WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 26th AND ENDS AT 8 AM MONDAY DECEMBER 1ST

Week 15:  PYE Chapter 10 and Handouts provided

Conservation Treatment and Beyond
Tuesday 2 December 2008 Adhesives in conservation; Adhering pottery together (Grade #6-15%)

Thursday 4 December 2008 – Public Outreach and Communicating Conservation

COURSE REVIEW- Exam review

Thursday 11 December 2008

FINAL EXAMINATION 8:30 am