Conservation
Unlocking secrets in the lab
Work on excavated items underway at the Conservation Laboratories of the Institute of Archaeology. © NML
Not all the work of an archaeological excavation takes place on site. Much of the most critical information is only obtained when objects are taken away and analysed in detail under laboratory conditions.
This work can range from the detailed cleaning of delicate objects and the analysis of bones and other remains, to complex chemical processes to stabilise and preserve objects that would otherwise rapidly decay after excavation.
The excavations by NML have been fortunate to receive the support of the Archaeological Conservation Laboratories at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. Any objects or remains considered of special importance, or which require specialist cleaning or stabilisation, are passed to the lab at the end of the excavation.
Human remains
A physical anthropologist examines human remains found at Loos. © NML
Particularly where human remains are uncovered, great pains are taken to thoroughly examine any objects that might lead to an identification of the dead soldier. Clues can come from many sources; buttons, fragments of uniform, corroded identification tags, even the contents of a soldier’s pockets all help in the quest for a name for each casualty.
When human remains are discovered, the work of the physical anthropologist is also vital. Close analysis of bones, teeth, and other remains are crucial to the process of identifying a soldier.
Unfortunately it is rare for the bones to tell us how a soldier was killed. Many fatal wounds do not involve damage to the skeleton. Some bodies remained on the battlefield for weeks or months, and the bones were damaged by shells after the soldier was dead.
Weapons and equipment
Bone toothbrush recovered from one of the casualties. © NML
From toothbrushes to tanks, examples of everything used by soldiers in World War One have been dug up in France. Some items were buried by shelling or trench collapse, others sank in the mud. Many items were dumped into trenches when they were filled in after the War.
How well artefacts survive depends upon the materials from which they are made. Metal survives quite well. Iron objects such as rifles, bayonets or shell fragments rust gradually, but brass items like cartridges survive almost unchanged, apart from a layer of green corrosion. Aluminium is highly unstable and crumbles away after only a few years in the soil. Items of wood, leather or cloth often survive, but their condition depends on the surrounding soil. The waterlogged clay of Ypres was terrible to fight in, but excellent for preserving artefacts.
Uniforms, buttons and badges
Examining a table of recently retrieved artefacts, including pieces of uniform and insignia. © NML
It is easy to think that soldiers all dressed the same, but actually military uniforms are covered with small details that separate one soldier from another.
As well as regimental markings, soldiers wore badges that showed their rank, length of service, specialist job or other skills. Such items when excavated can help to identify an individual. Buttons and badges can also show which troops were in a particular area or built a particular trench.
Personal items, paper and documents
A soggy lump of paper from the dig turns out to be a postcard. © NML
As at a modern crime-scene, the easiest way to identify a person is often to go through their pockets. The same is true of war casualties. Soldiers are all individuals, and as well as official identity papers such as pay-books, they all carry personal bits and pieces in their pockets. These can range from letters home to money, books, newspapers or even old bus tickets.
Conservation and interpretation of paper items is one of the trickiest jobs undertaken in the lab, but also one that can have the most important, and poignant results. Opening a pocket book and finding the owner’s name inside provides a direct link to an individual soldier of the War.
