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Cleaning Artifacts with CalgonTM

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Thomas W. Neumann
Affiliation:
3859 Wentworth Lane, Lilburn GA 30047
Robert M. Sanford
Affiliation:
Environmental Science and Policy Program, University of Southern Maine, 37 College Avenue, Gorham, ME 04038

Abstract

Experiments in which recently excavated artifacts were soaked for at least four hours in 40 g/liter aqueous solutions of CalgonTM (sodium [hexa]metaphosphate), then rinsed off in a colander under tap water, show this method to be 1.5 to 6.4 times more thorough than traditional scrubbing while taking only two-thirds the time. This method, particularly effective in cleaning large batches of small or intricately surfaced objects, is a practical cost-saving procedure in both public and private-sector research.

Résumé

Résumé

Experimentos en que artifactos recién excavados fueron remojados por al menos cuatro horas en soluciones acuosas de 40 g/litro de CalgonMR (hexametafosfato de sodio), y después enjuagados con agua potable en un colador, demostraron que este método es entre 1.5 y 6.4 veces más completo y más rápido (2/3 del tiempo) que el método tradicional de fregarlos. Este método es particularmente efectivo en limpiar lotes grandes de objectos pequeños o de superficies intricadas y es práctico y económico en investigaciones públicas y particulares.

Type
Reports
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Archaeology 1998

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References

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