Storage of bone

A very precious osseous flute was found in Slovenija by the
archaeologist Dr. Turk in the year 1995. It was made of young
cave-bear leg 45.000 BP, so it belongs to the middle Palaeolithic
age (mousterien). The flute is doubtless the oldest and the precious
instrument ever found.

According to previous inadequate storage conditions during the
scientific research, the fossil bone shows the first signs of decay.
The flute is stored in National Museum of Slovenia at the present.
We would like to offer to it the most properly storage conditions we
are able to.

Therefore we are seeking the advice from the people experienced in
this matter, how to complete our goal in the most efficient way. The
flute will surely change many hands in the future, so we have to
find the adequate way of protection.

My idea is to put it into the polyethylene or polypropylene
transparent box with ArtSorb filling. We are, however, not sure what
form of ArtSorb (granule, cassette or plates) should be used and to
which RH value it should be conditioned. We would welcome any
suggestions and thank you ahead.

Zoran Milic
National museum of Slovenia
Presernova 20 Slo-1000 Ljubljana
+386 61 218 886
Fax: +386 61 221 882

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:67
                 Distributed: Friday, February 6, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-11-67-008
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