Conservation Science: Heritage Materials

Conservation of artefacts and heritage materials is an increasingly popular and fascinating area, spanning both historical and scientific disciplines. Materials come in many forms ranging from sunken ships to tapestries, from buildings to books. With this wide range of matrices and materials to analyse and preserve, an interdisciplinary approach is needed drawing upon skills from many areas of knowledge. Conservation Science: Heritage Materials links these fields of research together forming a comprehensive text book that discusses analytical aspects, wall paintings, organic and inorganic materials. It provides up to date information on subjects including research on decay and degradation and an understanding of the deterioration mechanisms of historic and artistic works. Also included are a number of case studies of particularly important finds including the upkeep of the Mary Rose and the preservation of the sail on Nelsons ship HMS Victory. This book provides an essential guide and reference source for those working in all areas of heritage conservation.

Eric May is Reader in Microbiology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Portsmouth. He has worked on stone deterioration for 20 years and recently coordinated a EU study to assess the value of biotechnology for remediation of altered stone in buildings. He organised (with Mark Jones at the Mary Rose Trust) an international heritage meeting HMS 2005 in Portsmouth in June 2005.

Mark Jones is Head of Conservation at the Mary Rose Trust, responsible for the treatment of the Tudor warship, The Mary Rose, and her artefacts. Part-time Lecturer in conservation at the Universities of Portsmouth and Southampton, he has an MSc in the biodeterioration of materials and a PhD in marine fouling.