Dear colleagues,

I am writing with a question relating to the long-term storage of waterlogged deposits. A colleague here in Ireland, Christina Fredengren, has been excavating an important Late Mesolithic lakeside site (further information available at www.discoveryprogramme.ie - see Lake Settlement Project section ). Many of the deposits at the site are waterlogged.

Christina took many soil samples during the excavation, and it now seems that there are a number of samples that will not be examined in the near future. A museum here in Ireland is interested in storing these unexamined samples, possibly for analysis at some time in future decades.

I am looking for advice on current best practice for long-term storage of waterlogged samples. Would it be better to store the soil samples 'untouched', or can we sieve them to reduce their mass? Any advice on the addition of water/alcohol/other materials to enable preservation of the waterlogged remains would also be appreciated.

Best wishes,

Meriel McClatchie.