Artefact Conservation at Caherconnell

One of the responsibilities of any archaeological excavator is care for the artefacts recovered during excavation. The high-status settlement at Caherconnell Cashel has produced a wealth of objects, made from a variety of materials. Of these materials, the metals are the most prone to damage and deterioration, and must be professionally conserved after recovery each season. Our artefacts are conserved by ICRI (Institute of Conservator-Restorers of Ireland)-approved conservator, Susannah Kelly (http://www.susannahconservator.com). Artefact conservation accounts for most of the expenditure related to an excavation like this, so we thought we’d share images of some of our conserved metal artefacts!