Dear Mike
I am at home on a rare day off and I could not resist responding to your
query. Given the high degree of degradation of the timber and the fact
that despite, as David Grattan has said,, sea water seems very salty to us,
it is in fact a relatively weak concentration of an electrolyte and so I
feel confident in just putting the wood back in the ocean from whence it
came. Say a prayer or two in memory of those whose work was reflected in
the initial fabrication and then reverently return the timbers to the deep.
Good luck
Yours
Ian
At 02:15 PM 2/26/01 +0000, you wrote:
>Dear Nancy and David,
>
>Wow, that was quick. England to Canada to Finland and back again in a
couple of hours.
>
>David reflects the position I have taken and have given to our advisory
committee. I really don't see any risk. However, David will also know the
mischief a Cambridge professor can wreak, whether he knows what he is
talking about or not. I'll look forward to talking more to him at WOAM in
June.
>
>Best wishes
>
>Mike
>
>>>> <[log in to unmask]> 02/26 1:34 pm >>>
>I forwarded this query on to Dr. David Grattan, Canadian Conservation
Institute,
>and his reply is given below. (Dave is teaching in Finland for a month so
does
>not receive his normal email at CCI).
>
>
>---------------------- Forwarded by Nancy Binnie/HullOttawa/PCH/CA on
02/26/2001
>08:32 AM ---------------------------
>
>
>"David Grattan" <[log in to unmask]> on 02/26/2001 08:29:09 AM
>
>To: Nancy Binnie/HullOttawa/PCH/CA@PCH
>cc:
>Subject: Re: REBURIAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL WOOD
>
>
>
>Dear nancy,
>
>It is very doubtful that given the dilute concentration of salt in seawater
>seawater and the deteriorated nature of the wood that any osmotic presssure
>would develop. I Think that you can be pretty confident that it will be
>secure. Osmaotic pressure effects only occur under two circumstances - one
>when wood is blocked and when flow is limited, or when you have a high
>concentration gradient of a species which is large and can not penetrate a
>membrane. You do not have either situation here!
>
>your advice is valid!
>
>David
>
>(Dr. David Grattan, Canadian Conservation Institute, 1030 Innes Road, Ottawa,
>ON, Canada, K1A 0M5)
>
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>
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>Telephone 020 7973 3000
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>_________________________________________________________________
>
>
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