A Multi-Analytical Protocol for Decision Making to Study Copper Alloy Artefacts from Underwater Excavations and Plan Their Conservation

Abstract

The multi-analytical protocol currently in use at Historic England for the investigation of copper alloy artefacts recovered during underwater excavations aims to determine their manufacturing processes, identify repairs, and assess their state of preservation. Each step of the scientific analysis is described, and the results obtained from the study of a selection of copper alloy objects recovered from the Dutch East India Company (VOC) Rooswijk shipwreck (1740) are used as examples of the application of the protocol to gain archaeological, metallurgical, and conservation data. This information is crucial to plan the most appropriate procedures and determine treatment steps for the study and conservation of copper alloy artefacts from the marine environment.