The Conservation of the Archaeological Materials

One of the aspects that makes the discovery of these offerings so extraordinary is the exceptional state of preservation of the objects, especially the vegetal remains, the textiles, the wooden figures, and the amate paper (pre-Hispanic paper made from the bark of the amate tree), among others.

This has made it possible for us to examine ritual elements, which we had previously only seen depicted in the codices. Furthermore, they give us an idea of how some of the offerings found in the Great Temple, where perishable materials have vanished with the passage of time, may have looked. Because of their importance, these types of objects required extremely special care whereby an in situ conservation project, carried out by a team of specialists led by restorer Lourdes Gallardo, was initiated alongside the excavation. As for the work that was carried out, it was extremely meticulous and often involved parts of the offering being removed en masse so that the process of restoration could be conducted in the
laboratory under optimal conditions. In this way the objects could be stabilized without having to go through a sudden change from the condition in which they had been found. The original state and condition of parts of the offerings were altered as little as possible keeping in mind the possibility of analyzing them in the future. The task carried out by conservation specialists is one of the most meticulous, and does not end with the excavation process. Instead, in many cases the specialists must work with the objects for long periods of time, sometimes years, after they have been excavated. Thanks to their work we are able show museum visitors many of the objects which have been found during the excavations.

Why were textiles, paper, and other perishable objects found in perfect condition?
According to restorer Lourdes Gallardo, the exceptional state of preservation of the materials found is due to the fact that the stone box in which the offering had been placed was sealed. No air or light had gotten in, certain materials that inhibit the development of microorganisms such as copper were present, and the microenvironment inside the box was in a state of equilibrium.

Translated from Spanish by Annis Graetz.