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Historic Preservation Home > Syllabi > 400 Level Courses > HISP 471NN-01 Introduction to Conservation

UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION

HISP 471 NN (01) Introduction to Conservation
Fall Semester 2006

Instructor: Evelyne Godfrey
Time: TuTh 11:00-12:15
Location: Combs Hall 009

Historic Preservation 471 NN Introduction to Conservation provides an overview of conservation as a specialist professional discipline. The classes will have no scientific laboratory component. In the first half of the course, the historical and current nature and organization of conservation and restoration will be examined, and the ethics of conservation will be discussed, with reference to, for example, the Code of Practice of the American Institute of Conservation (AIC). The second half of the course will describe some of the basic field methods of excavating, lifting, packing, and storing historical artifacts. Common museum- and laboratory-based techniques of documentation, materials recognition, analysis and treatment will also be discussed, focusing especially on archaeological objects. Field-trips to visit the conservation labs of local museums will be arranged.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

  1. Provide an understanding of the nature of conservation and restoration, and the role of conservators in the ‘cultural heritage industry’
  2. Introduce fundamental conservation techniques and documentation methods, especially with reference to archaeological material
  3. Examine current ethical debates in conservation
  4. Generate awareness of what the range of conservation specialists do
  5. Foster self-confidence in describing and discussing conservation issues

CLASS REQUIREMENTS

TEXTS:
The following book is required and will be available in the University Bookstore:
Elizabeth Pye, Caring for the Past
Publisher: James & James (2000) ISBN: 1902916107

Additional reading list:

1. Studies in Conservation (journal of the International Institute for Conservation)
2. Journal of the American Institute for Conservation
3. Chris Caple, Objects: Reluctant witnesses to the past
Publisher: Routledge (2006) ISBN: 0415305896
4. Chris Caple, Conservation Skills: Judgement, Method and Decision Making
Publisher: Routledge (2000) ISBN: 0415188814
5. Richard Hobbs, Guide to Conservation for Metal Detectorists
Publisher: Tempus Publishing Ltd (2002) ISBN: 0752425226
6. David Watkinson and Virginia Neal, First Aid for Finds
Publisher: Rescue/UKIC (1998/2001) ISBN: 1871656281
7. Salvador Munoz-Vinas, Contemporary Theory of Conservation
Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann (2004) ISBN: 0750662247

ASSIGNMENTS AND TESTS:
The student is responsible for all required readings and lecture materials.  Handouts for class will be made available on Blackboard. All professor provided materials should be considered materials that will be tested.  There will be two assignments: a short essay and a conservation literature review.

Assignment I (essay) is due on Thursday, October 3rd and should be at least 3 pages in length, excluding references. Assignment II (conservation literature review) will be a report on a case-study article from a conservation journal, to be presented in class and then handed in after the presentation. The Assignment II presentations will be held on Thursday, November 2nd.

There will be two tests, with multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank questions concerning basic terms, concepts or events from class or required readings. Test I will be on Tuesday, October 10th and Test II will be on Tuesday, November 16th.

EXAM:
The final examination will be on Tuesday, December 12th at noon.

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 tests, final examination and out-of-class assignments.  Your final grade will be based on:  Assignment I = 15%; Assignment II = 20%; Test 1 = 20%; Test 2 = 15%; Final Examination = 30%.  Assignments will be marked down by ten (10 points) for each day later than the beginning of class on the date due.

MY OFFICE HOURS
Monday to Friday 1:00-2:00 pm

OFFICE
121 Combs Hall; Phone: 654-1312; E-mail: egodfrey@umw.edu
Preferably contact me by e-mail.

CLASS SCHEDULE

I. Conservation Theory

Week 1: Reading: Pye Chapters 1-2
Conservation: What’s it all about?
Tuesday 29 August 2006 Preserving and understanding the past
Thursday 31 August 2006 The conservation process

Week 2:  Reading: Pye Chapter 3 and Chapter 8
nature and organisation of Conservation
Tuesday 5 September 2006 History of conservation
Thursday 7 September 2006 Conservation organizations & the role of the conservator

Week 3: Reading: Pye Chapter 9
Specializations
Tuesday 12 September 2006 Training in conservation
Thursday 14 September 2006 Codes of Practice; UNESCO and the World Heritage register

Week 4: Reading: Pye Chapter 6
judgement & ETHICS OF CONSERVATION
Tuesday 19 September 2006 Decision-making, interpretation, and restoration
Thursday 21 September 2006 Risk-assessment

Week 5: Reading: Pye Chapter 4
ethical debates
Lecture 9.  Tuesday 26 September 2006 Antiquities and the art market
Lecture 10.  Thursday 28 September 2006 Determining the authenticity of objects

Week 6:
NON-INVASIVE EXAMINATION OF OBJECTS
Tuesday 3 October 2006 Documentation of objects; x-radiography
Assignment I due
Thursday 5 October 2006 Non-destructive methods of analysis

Week 7:
Tuesday 10 October 2006 TEST I
Thursday 12 October Field-trip to conservation labs (tentative date)

MID-SEMESTER VACATION BEGINS AT 5 P.M. FRIDAY OCTOBER 13th AND ENDS AT 8 A.M. WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 18th.

II. Conservation Practice

Week 8: Reading: Pye Chapter 5
BURIAL ENVIRONMENTS
Thursday 19 October 2006 Decay and alteration of buried objects

Week 9:
conservation fieldwork I
Tuesday 24 October 2006 Recovery of archaeological objects in the field
Thursday 26 October 2006 Lifting, handling, packing (practical)

Week 10:
conservation fieldwork II
Tuesday 31 October 2006 Recovery of maritime remains; conservation of wood
Thursday 2 November 2006 Assignment II presentations

Week 11:
Identifying Materials
Tuesday 7 November 2006 Textile conservation
Thursday 9 November 2006 Objects of ivory and bone

Week 12:
SURVEY & CONDITION ASSESSMENT
Tuesday 14 November 2006 Stone monuments in situ; museum collections
Thursday 16 November 2006 TEST II

Week 13
Tuesday 22 November 2006 In situ preservation

THANKSGIVING VACATION BEGINS AT 8 AM WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 22nd AND ENDS AT 8 AM MONDAY NOVEMBER 27TH.

Week 14: Reading: Pye Chapter 7
STABILIZING AND TREATING OBJECTS
Tuesday 28 November 2006 Investigative conservation of inorganic objects
Thursday 30 November 2006 Field-trip to conservation labs (tentative date)

Week 15: Reading: Pye Chapter 10
PRESENTING THE PAST TO THE PUBLIC
Tuesday 5 December 2006 Reconstructing sites and objects
Thursday 7 December 2006 COURSE REVIEW

Thursday 14 December 2006
FINAL EXAMINATION Noon to 2:30 PM