Email digest for the Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList) egroup. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. RE: Inquiry: Archaeological Paper Materials from Mass Grave 2. RE: Symposium on Palaeontological Preparation and Conservation 2026 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.From: Catherine Hayes Posted: Saturday April 11, 2026 3:28 PM Subject: RE: Inquiry: Archaeological Paper Materials from Mass Grave Message: Here is a link to a document that may help you with the process of freezing to arrest immediate degradation of wet materials, should that be an avenue for this project. "Freezing and Drying Wet Books and Records." Northeast Document Conservation Center Web Link: https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/3.-emergency-management/3.12-freezing-and-drying-wet-books-and-records Some sections of the document may not apply to your needs, but other sections help explain freezer options and materials. Given the sensitive nature of the collected materials, keeping all provenance information together with the item will be key, so consider doubling up on labelling efforts. Further considerations: Contact forensic anthropologist departments within local universities as they may offer additional expertise as you consider future treatment options. There may be some non-destructive, imaging methods (e.g., 3D X-ray imaging, reflective light imaging methods, etc.) that will allow an object to be reviewed through packing materials for the production of an image of the object, which then can be handled. (I hope others from the group may have some further ideas on this thought.) Sincerest regards, ------------------------------ Catherine Hayes Conservator Heritage Sake Baywood-Los Osos United States ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 04-10-2026 06:07 From: Simon Green Subject: Inquiry: Archaeological Paper Materials from Mass Grave Dear Madzida It is not often that a conservator is engaged in such important human and legal research and I very much respect what you are doing. Apart from stabilising the moisture content your main concern is to stop any further biological degradation. Many years ago, we had a large batch of flax pulp which was damp and had active fungal growth. After quite a lot of research we put the whole lot through a food irradiation facility which killed the fungi without significant affect on the cellulose. We took advice of the best dose that would not break down the chain length of cellulose by more than a minimal amount. I think we used gamma irradiation but there are quite a lot of options as outline at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_irradiation There is plenty more more formal research on line. Our issue did not have the concerns that you would have about security of the material but you could probably deal with this by close supervision of the contractor and transport. You may also be concerned about the effect of any other biological evidence within the materials but I cannot make an suggestions on that. I hope that this important work proceeds successfully. ------------------------------ Simon Barcham Green Maidstone ------------------------------ Original Message: Sent: 04-09-2026 09:31 From: Madžida Smajkić Subject: Inquiry: Archaeological Paper Materials from Mass Grave Dear colleagues, I am a paper conservator working at the Gazi Husrev-beg Library in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have recently established cooperation with the Memorial Center Srebrenica, which holds a very specific and sensitive type of material. They are dealing with paper documents (letters, notes) that were recovered from mass graves related to the events of July 1995. These materials were found in direct contact with soil, moisture, and decomposition-related substances. To this day, new remains are still being discovered, which is why such items are considered evidentiary material. The material is extremely fragile and shows signs of biological activity (mold/microorganisms). Additionally, due to its evidentiary nature, any interventive treatment is highly restricted. At this stage, the primary concern is how to stabilize and safely store such material, without compromising its integrity or potential forensic value. We are currently in the assessment phase and no treatments have been undertaken. I would be grateful if you could advise: whether there are conservators or institutions with experience in archaeological or highly degraded paper from similar contexts, or any guidelines/references relevant to this type of material. Any direction or contact would be greatly appreciated. Kind regards, Madzida Smajkic 2.From: Stephen Koob Posted: Saturday April 11, 2026 9:47 PM Subject: RE: Symposium on Palaeontological Preparation and Conservation 2026 Message: Are you interested in a paper about using B-72 as an adhesive? Demonstration and free tubes included. Stephen ------------------------------ Stephen Koob Conservator (Retired) Corning Museum of Glass Corning United States ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 04-03-2026 11:30 From: Lu Allington-Jones Subject: Symposium on Palaeontological Preparation and Conservation 2026 Hi everyone, This year the Symposium on Palaeontological Preparation and Conservation (SPPC) will be held on 17th November in Manchester (UK), immediately preceding the Geological Collections Group (GCG) Winter Seminar and AGM. For more information about SPPC and past abstracts please see: SPPC - Symposium on Palaeontological Preparation and Conservation - Geological Collections Group <https://www.geocollections.org/events/97-sppc> Abstract submission will close 1st September 2026. Best wishes, Lu, Nigel and Kieran (SPPC Committee) You are subscribed to "Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList)" as [email protected]. 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