I was asked to analyse some bones that had been excavated 3 years earlier 
and wrapped in foil with no cleaning at all.  The idea was that some of the 
bones would be chosen for radiocarbon dating and the excavators believed 
that this was the best way to prevent contamination.  The foil had seriously 
degraded and was crumbling, becoming a contaminant itself.  Luckily most of 
the foil-wrapped bones were then put into plastic bags so those that had 
fallen out of holes in the foil could still be matched with their contexts 
as none of them had been marked up.

I think that the New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office should be 
made aware that foil can degrade in this way, unless there is a special 
archive quality foil?  I find the best way to store bones is in pierced 
self-seal polythene bags and with fragile bones I wrap them in acid-free 
tissue and then place them in the bags.  Then the whole lot goes into an 
archive-quality cardboard box.

Teresa

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "adam heinrich" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 3:58 PM
Subject: [ZOOARCH] bone conservation


> Hello all,
> I am writing to ask about some basic bone storage methods used by the 
> professional zooarch/museum community.  I have been made aware that the 
> New Jersey State Historic Preservation Office is requiring that all bone 
> to be wrapped in aluminum foil before they would accept the materials for 
> storage. I was thinking that this is a wierd way to store all bone. 
> Experiences at several locations has showed bones being stored in plastic 
> bags, paper bags, and only foil for fragile specimens such as mandibles 
> with loose teeth.  But never has tin/ aluminum foil been used as the 
> primary wrapping.
>
> This initially concerned me because I fear that the rather tough foil 
> could damage bone surfaces to potentially mimic or disguise cultural or 
> biogenic surface modifications. I guess it may be an avenue for some 
> experimental work!  On top of that, if one wanted to look at the bones, 
> unwrapping all these fragments from their foil shrouds would be incredibly 
> inhibiting.  Not to menton the time billed to clients as I watched lab 
> assistant wrapping the bones in bits of foil.
>
> I am hoping for some insights into preferred methods to store bones.
> Thanks in advance, Adam Heinrich
>
>
>
> "Old crow of wisdom did say
> ...people of Asa land, it's only just begun..."
> Bathory
>