Intervention in the hilt of a rapier sword at the historic site of Panamá Viejo (Panama): state of conservation, analysis and restoration

Abstract

The remains of this rapier, a kind of historic sword made of iron, were found in the archaeological site of Panamá Viejo. Only part at the guard, the hilt and part of the crossbar (or quillions) and knuckle bow (or knuckle guard) are preserved.
Under the mínimum intervention and long-term conservation principles, the treatments were focused on the elimination and stabilization of corrosion products. All of that added to the recovery of the original surface/volume offer the proper documentation, preservation and study of the object without risking its stability.
The restoration process consisted in the use of different mechanical cleaning methods to treat the surface such as abrasive projection with the micro sandblaster, the micro drill used locally and the laser for the surface stabilization.
X-ray Difraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscope with X-ray dispersive
energy (SEM-EDX) analyses were carried out to determine  the composition of the elements and compounds of different parts of the object and of the corrosion products that were present.
Finally, the digitalization of both parts of the sword was performed using a 3D scanner that allowed the exact reproduction of the items and their disposal in the original place. This has helped in the study and examination of the object easily.