On-Site Preservation-Restoration in Desert Environments: the Instances of Berenice and Oxyrhynchus, Egypt.

Abstract

On-site preservation-restoration in archaeological excavations in a country like Egypt is a formidable challenge for a preservation and restoration team, both for the number and diversity of items which may be found during an excavation and the complexity of carrying out procedures in such an inhospitable environment as the desert. Berenice and Oxyrhynchus are two sites which allow us to evaluate the task of the on-site preservation-restoration team, as well as analyse and extrapolate their experiences for other similar situations.