Conservation?

So what is this “conservation”, the thing we promise to do for the Cog? What is it actually we mean when promising to plan and manage conservation and exhibition of a medieval shipwreck?

Let’s zoom out for a while to discuss the very concept of conservation before delving deeper into the mystery called the Peeter Cog, the real focus of this project.

What we conservators are doing is preserving material objects. This is done by indirect preventive means, which means securing that the thing is and remains in such conditions that normal degradation reactions do not happen. It's also done through direct remedial actions in cases where something needs to be removed from or introduced to the object in order to better preserve and present it. Whole lot of ethical deliberations and considerations of various significances are involved in decision-making, but basically that’s it.

Well, not really, for it makes a huge difference what we’re dealing with. I mean, conserving an oil painting on canvas is something quite different than preserving an archaeological find such as the Peeter Cog. However, this is not to say that we can’t generalize. For there are some major principles affecting conservation processes no matter what you happen to be dealing with. The so-called natural cycle of life would be one such issue, with which I mean that materials react with their environment whether you want it or not, unless some unusual conditions prevent it. Usually this means some sort of degradation reactions, which would be most unwanted preservation-wise. So common to all conservation projects is fight against those natural forces.

How to go about with it? Firstly, one needs to consider the preventive mans, which would be keeping it in such conditions that degradation does not happen, or is halted, which is actually the best we can do, to be frank. It might be dry, cold and dark conditions, which best suits for the materials, and it's the conservator's expertise to know whats best and how to achieve it. Secondly, the conservator must know if preventive means alone are not enough and some remedial actions are required for securing preservation. This means touching the object, doing whatever is needed for preventing destruction, let's say your painting crumbling off the canvas or archaeological iron rusting away before your eyes. This something might be introducing some stabilization agent to the material or removing whatever it causing the degradation from it.

A goal-oriented similarity in all conservation processes comes from the fact that that historical objects might not be that well suited for display just like that, especially if they happen to be dirty and broken and hence pretty much unfathomable to the regular guy visiting exhibitions. Totally blackened paintings seldom make exhibitions’ highlights, nor do irregular piles of pottery fragments. So, I mean that conservation actions are not always needed for the sake of pure preservation of the materials, but if nothing’s done, it would be totally unsuitable for display.

Priit Lätti of the Estonian Maritime Museum and FOG's Heikki Häyhä. Photo: Eero Ehanti, FOG

Of course, in real life these all merge together. We conservators always consider both preventive and remedial means when planning conservation of something, and if that something’s going to go on display, we of course do our best to make it understandable and as presentable as possible.

Archaeological finds for sure are something in great need of conservation, in any possible meaning of the word, I would dare to say, for they are highly unstable after centuries of burial and often in desperate need of some actions to turn them understandable and presentable to public.

Our object, the Peeter Cog, is a big and complex archaeological find. Preservation-wise we're dealing with wood (mostly oak), metals (iron), rope and what not from medieval times with some 700 years of burial behind them in wet environment. Everything has suffered from the cycle of life I so much enjoy referring to.

To put it simply, the whole thing needs to be stablilized and supported so that it all preserves and makes sense to the visitors, who will no doubt be crowding the exhibition hall at Fat Margerita in Old Tallinn when everything’s ready. So what needs to be done? About that later on!