Conservation and archaeological study of Iberian and Vacceo-Roman bronze and iron pieces from Dessobriga (Palencia)

Abstract

During the excavation campaign of 2019 of the archaeological site of Dessobriga (Palencia), many metallic
objects made out of iron and bronze were recovered. Their stabilisation was essential for their identification and ulterior study. Among them, there are several significant bronze and iron pieces, from vacceo-roman period. The conservation of archaeological metallic heritage tends to be difficult due to the high degradation of these materials.
The constant dialogue between archaeologists and conservators, was the key to successful interventions.
The treatments pursued were done according to the excavation needs but always respecting conservation criteria. As a result, the interpretation of the data obtained after the treatment of the objects, were indispensable for the decision making during the excavation. In this way, encouraging a closed relationship between both disciplines gets indispensable for the research in archaeological metallic heritage.