| Cleaning of artifact must be done in a way that ensures that no damage is done. Much of how to clean an artifact depends upon the material in which it is made from. Durable Materials (Stone, Ceramics) Durable materials may be cleaned in warm water and a soft bristled brush. Artifacts can be placed in warm water and soak to help remove all debris. After they have soaked then brush off the debris and rinse them off under warm running water. If the artifact has lichens growing on them then soak the artifact a little longer. This should loosen them up and help remove them from the artifact. Some artifacts have a white alkali buildup on them. Alkali will not come off no matter how long you soak them. To help remove alkali from durable artifacts soak the artifact in a solution of warm water and lime remover (i.e. Lime Away). Watch the artifacts carefully while they are soaking and periodically remove and try to remove the alkali. Some people do use a stronger solution of muriatic acid or HCL acid. These solutions can be hazardous so I suggest the Lime Away instead. Non-durable Material (Shell, Bone) Many people clean artifacts made of bone and shell the same way that they clean stone. The problem with this is that they may absorb the water and damage the artifacts. For these types of artifacts use a dry soft bristled brush. Rub the artifacts softly to ensure you do not damage them. This should remove any debris from them. If you have some debris that will not come off in this manner then slightly wet the brush itself and brush the artifact. When the debris has come loose then wipe it off with a soft cloth. One of the methods I learned to help preserve bone it to lightly rub the artifact after it is clean. To do this just rub the artifact between your thumb and fingers very gently. You do not want to apply any pressure that would break or damage the artifact. Doing this covers the artifact in oils from your had. These are the same oils that the Native Americans put into the artifacts when they were working with then that helped preserve them. This will also put a slight shine to the artifacts and will help preserve them. Fragile Material (Wood, Fiber) when cleaning fragile materials you should never get the artifacts near water. These artifacts will absorb the water that will damage them. To clean these wipe them carefully with a soft bristle brush. If you have an artifact that has debris that will not come off with a very soft wiping of the brush, then let the artifact set for a few days and try to softly wipe it off again. If the debris still will not come off then it will just add to the character of the artifact. f you have any questions on cleaning artifacts then contact you local Archeological Society(Listed on the links page) or e-mail me and we will see if we can find the best way to clean your artifact. |
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