Archaeological basket

Helen Alten writes:

>We have uncovered a 5400 year old spruce root basket from a creek.  I
>have removed the dirt surrounding the basket and it is currently sitting
>in distilled water.

Helen: first remember analytical potential--you may want to save an
uncontaminated sample (some very old sandals found on the west coast
were not datable with C14 because the archaeologist poured
consolidant--which may not have been needed--all over them in the field;
the implied date was obtained from a pair in a private collection...

Second, I would suggest you contact Jim Moore or Lorne Murdock at

    Waterlogged Materials Conservation Lab
    National Historic Parks and Sites
    DOE-Canadian Parks Service
    1550 Liverpool Court
    Ottawa, Ontario
    CANADA   K1A OH3
    613-993-2125

Lorne has outstanding experience in this field, and can advise you, or
maybe even help with treatment.

Lisa Mibach

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 8:27
                Distributed: Saturday, October 15, 1994
                        Message Id: cdl-8-27-001
                                  ***