Mosaics in Situ

1 Introduction to the Literature Review Literature Review Mosaics In Situ An Overview of Literature on Conservation of Mosaics In Situ Edited by Thomas Roby and Martha Demas Mosaics In Situ An Overview of the Literature on Conservation of Mosaics In Situ Edited by Thomas Roby and Martha Demas THET GET Y CONSERVATION INSTITUTE LOS ANGELES © 2013 J. Paul Getty Trust The Getty Conservation Institute 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 700 Los Angeles, CA 90049-1684 United States Telephone 310 440-7325 Fax 310 440-7702 E-mail [email protected] www.getty.edu/conservation The Getty Conservation Institute works internationally to advance conservation practice in the visual arts-broadly interpreted to include objects, collections, architecture, and sites. The GCI serves the conservation community through scientific research, education and training, model field projects, and dissemination of the results of both its own work and the work of others in the field. In all its endeavors, the GCI focuses on the creation and delivery of knowledge that will benefit the professionals and organizations responsible for the conservation of the world’s cultural heritage. Cover Photo: House of Neptune, Thuburbo Majus, Tunisia. © J. Paul Getty Trust Contents Foreword Acknowledgments Introduction to the Literature Review CHAPTER 1 Inventories and Official Corpora of Mosaics CHAPTER 2 Causes of Deterioration (forthcoming) CHAPTER 3 Treatment and Maintenance (forthcoming) CHAPTER 4 Protective Shelters for Archaeological Sites CHAPTER 5 Reburial and Protective Covering of Mosaics CHAPTER 6 Training and Awareness (forthcoming) Foreword This review of the literature on mosaic conservation emanates from the Getty Conservation Institute’s (GCI) many projects related to mosaics beginning in the mid- 1980s, and currently under the umbrella of the MOSAIKON Initiative. The aim of these projects has always been to enhance the conservation of ancient floor mosaics (Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic) in archaeological sites, through contributing to a better understanding of their causes of deterioration; developing methods and approaches to their maintenance and conservation; and improving the skills of technicians and professionals in the areas of maintenance, conservation, and management. As a basis for pursuing these goals, on-going review of the literature on conservation of in situ mosaics has been undertaken over the years. These have served both as a prerequisite for understanding past practice and the current state of knowledge and for identifying new trends and areas in need of further research, testing, and development. Earlier versions of these reviews have informed workshops, experts’ meetings, training courses and project needs. The current compilation of reviews embraces the principal practices of mosaic conservation from published works through 2007. Although long overdue, we trust this review of the literature is a solid contribution to the field of mosaic conservation that can be built upon in the future, much as this work benefited from the critical review of the literature through 1988 published in 1994 (Nardi 1994). Jeanne Marie Teutonico i Acknowledgements The literature review on conservation of mosaics in situ is the result of a team effort with contributions by various Getty Conservation Institute staff (current and former), consultants, and interns over the years. Oversight and editorial review were undertaken by Thomas Roby and Martha Demas. The various sections of the review were written by Rachel Burch (GCI consultant), Martha Demas, Gaetano Palumbo, Francesca Piqué, and Thomas Roby. Elsa Bourguignon, Leslie Friedman, Alice Paterakis (consultant) and GCI interns (former) Chris de Brer, Bettina Lucherini, Kenza Kahrim, Ben Marcus, Sibylla Tringham, and (current) Juana Escobar contributed significantly to research and review, bibliographic selection and updating of annotations. Bibliographic searches and verification of citations were done by Valerie Greathouse, GCI Information Center. And finally, but most gratefully, appraisal and critiques of various sections of the literature review were undertaken by Neville Agnew, Livia Alberti, Eric Hansen, Demetrios Michaelides, Giorgio Torraca, and Denis Weidemann. ii Introduction to the Literature Review To categorize, synthesize, and essentialize a body of published work in a particular area of study – a literature review – is a highly valued endeavor, but one that often proves difficult to achieve as originally envisioned and scheduled. This review is no exception. It has been (too) many years in the making and has altered in its original scope. Initial results of the review on deterioration and treatment of mosaics were disseminated at the 9th ICCM conference in Tunisia and have been published (Ben Abed et al. 2008), an earlier version of the annotated shelter bibliography was published in 2001 (CMAS 2001), and other sections were initially developed for training courses or an experts’ meeting. The full literature review consists of six chapters, each with a distinct subject category and associated bibliography, current through 2007 (with a few 2008 excep- tions noted, such as the publication of the 9th ICCM conference). The completed chapters will be uploaded as they emerge from their final edit. The selection of the six subject categories was based on the practice of conservation on mosaic sites and the perceived needs of the field, but also, in the case of Inventories and Corpora, the need to better understand the geographic extent and concentration of the mosaic heritage. The content and coverage of these subject categories are briefly described below. They vary in format and style, reflecting varied authorship and the purpose or audience for which they were originally conceived and written. Chapter 1. Inventories and Official Corpora of Mosaics (currently available) A review of existing inventories and Corpora in all countries where ancient floor mosaics have been recorded was undertaken to better understand the global mosaic resource; the existence and type of conservation criteria included in the inventories; and the potential use of inventories as a regional management tool and as a basis for discerning patterns of preservation and deterioration. The result is a compilation and brief analysis, according to a standard format, of published inventories, surveys and official Corpora through 2007. Chapter 2. Causes of Deterioration (forthcoming) Understanding the causes of deterioration of mosaics is fundamental to developing methods of treatment and protection. The review of the literature on deterioration brings together the main citations specific to mosaics and attempts to synthesize the state of knowledge and the research and investigation undertaken to date. It also brings 1 2 Introduction to the Literature Review forth where the greatest need for study in the future lie, most notably emphasizing the lack of explicit research into deterioration processes for mosaics. Chapter 3. Conservation Treatments and Maintenance (forthcoming) The review of the literature regarding in situ conservation interventions details current and past practice, while at the same time illustrating overall approaches to the challenges of conserving mosaics in the archaeological context. Increasingly, maintenance treatments are implemented to respond to these challenges and are included in this section of the review. Citations through 2007 are organized in text and table form to elucidate the development and stasis of treatment methods and materials over time. Chapter 4. Protective Shelters for Archaeological Sites (currently available) The review of the literature on protective shelters is structured differently than the other reviews, having begun its life as a comprehensive annotated bibliography on shelters over archaeological sites. Originally compiled in the early 1990s for a training course, the bibliography has been updated over the years, currently through 2007 (an earlier version was published in CMAS 2001). The more comprehensive scope and the use of annotations have been retained in subsequent updates. While the bibliography is not specific to mosaic sites, citations relevant to shelters built to protect mosaics are identified and constitute a large percentage of the citations. Chapter 5. Reburial and Protective Covering of Mosaics (currently available) The protection of mosaics by reburial or the use of shallow covering (surface protection) is a well established practice in the conservation tool box for mosaics. Although there exists a wider literature on reburial of archaeological remains, this review only considers literature specific to mosaics. The review looks at the literature over two periods (pre- 1990 and post-1990) to reveal the trends toward an increasing use of reburial and shallow covering as a method for both short and long-term preservation, and more experimentation with materials and methods, but it also reveals the weaknesses in methods, materials and publication and evaluation of work undertaken. Chapter 6. Training and Awareness (forthcoming) The overview on Training and Awareness was compiled for an experts’ meeting on mosaic conservation held in Nicosia, Cyprus in 2002 in order to provide participants with background information to assess the needs. The overview includes an annotated bibliography and a List of Training Programs and Initiatives Relevant to Mosaics Conservation. The bibliography and list of programs were compiled from both published and unpublished

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