Conservation of Bone, Horn, and Ivory

Abstract

The conservation of bone, horn, and ivory begins with understanding how these materials degrade in a range of burial environments and knowing the other factors that can affect preservation. As biocomposites, these tissues have particularly complex degradation pathways. Conservation begins from the moment of excavation, protecting, supporting, and inhibiting dimensional changes and biodegradation. Keratinous tissues may only be present in the form of mineral preserved organics (MPOs). Good external support of friable objects is the preferred strategy, rather than consolidation prior to lifting. The key to long‐term passive conservation is stability of curation conditions.

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