European Standards for Archaeological Wood - theoretical background, purpose, and application

The successful management of archaeological wood finds from waterlogged sites starts in the planning phase of any excavation. From the moment of exposure, waterlogged wood finds are extremely vulnerable to a range of man-made and natural threats. There is a real risk of losing the artefact if it is not handled and conserved properly. This paper describes the process leading to the creation of CEN TC346 Standards for waterlogged wood, and how they will be applied within archaeological excavations and conservation. These, it is confidently expected, will provide European archaeologists, conservators and archaeological curators clear guidelines and decision-making tools for effectively managing finds of wood from waterlogged sites.