LAKE PHELPS DUGOUT LOG CANOES: CONSERVATION, RETREATMENT, AND PUBLIC DISPLAY

Abstract

During the latter part of the 1980s, nearly thirty prehistoric dugout log canoes were discovered at Lake Phelps, in eastern North Carolina. Of those reported, four of these canoes were retrieved and conserved with a sugar solution while the rest were left in situ. Two of the canoes were stored and displayed at the Information Center at Pettigrew State Park located near the lake. The environment in which they were stored was not conducive for their long-term storage and display, and over time, crystallized surface deposits developed, contributing to their further degradation. They were relocated to the East Carolina University (ECU) West Research campus under the management of North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources Underwater Archaeology Branch (NCDCR UAB) for analyses and stabilization until they could be re-conserved. In fall 2014, a formal study was developed focusing on their re-conservation and eventual return to their "home" at Pettigrew State Park. Several chemical and mechanical conservation techniques were tested and results indicated further trials would be beneficial. While collaborating with conservators how to best proceed with this study, a misting technique modeled after the ultrasonic misting method was developed. Ultrasonic misting was developed as a way to consolidate artworks and other artifacts where unstable pigment was present and had not been previously tested to conserve wooden artifacts where crystallized sugars had leached onto the surface. The technique developed in this study was tested and shown to substantially improve the condition of the wooden objects used for testing. Further improvement and testing of this technique could add to conservators' selection of techniques for those wishing to conserve objects such as those presented in this thesis.