Field Conservation:
Selinunte Archaeological Park
In the summer of 2023, I served as a conservator at Selinunte Archaeological Park on the southwest coast of Sicily, Italy. The project involved hands-on conservation within one of the largest and most significant ancient Greek sites in the Mediterranean. Working across exposed architectural remains under challenging environmental conditions, the 5-week collaborative dig focused on assessing material stability, documenting surface deterioration, and treatment on a wide variety of ancient objects. This experience combined site-based analysis with team-based practical intervention, reinforcing a responsive approach to archaeological conservation in a dynamic outdoor context.
Case Study:
KOUROS
7th century BCE
Excavated in 2023 at Selinunte Archaeological Park in Sicily, Italy
Reassembling a ca. 7th-century BCE Corinthian pyxis at Selinunte Archaeological Park, Sicily, 2023.
Selinunte Dig Team, Summer 2023
This small ceramic statue of a kouros, considered the most important find of the 2023 season, was found in fragmentary condition in several stratigraphic layers near an early temple in Selinunte’s main urban sanctuary. The polychromed surfaces needed consolidation before I joined the fragments using progressively stronger weight to volume concentrations of synthetic adhesive resin. I created a drawing, shown below, for the archaeologists referencing the stratigraphic layers where the various fragments were found.
Excavations are a team effort. As conservators, we need to understand how others use our work on site. Without details about the different layers where fragments were found, the object loses its context and value. To aid this, I made a drawing which shows each fragment's location and stratigraphical layer information.