Underground display case

We are investigating the possibilities for putting an archaeological
find outdoors in an underground display case.  I have seen stone
structures like walls in outside display cases and others inside a
building, but in our case, the object is a wooden well.  In one of
our excavations, this well has been found years ago and it has been
conserved for a museum exhibition i.e. treated with PEG and
freeze-dried.  The parts have been re-assembled with a display frame
inside the well.  The municipality is developing the area as an
archaeological centre for the public and thought it would be nice to
find a place for the well that has been found there, in an
underground case where people can look down and see some of the
objects that were recovered from the well.

Many questions rise; which materials can be used to make the display
case?  Concrete might be very heavy, could certain plastics be used?
What about the cover?  What protection is needed for changing
temperatures, especially when the sun is shining directly at the
case?  Should it be partially/completely air tight or maybe even
vacuum?  Should the wood be strengthened to withstand these
circumstances?  What should we use for this?

Does anyone have experience with displaying archaeological wood in
an outside environment and would like to think along with us?  We
are very happy with this municipality's initiative and really want
to help making it a success.

Karin Abelskamp
Conservation specialist
ADC Archeoprojects
Amersfoort
The Netherlands


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 27:46
                   Distributed: Tuesday, May 27, 2014
                       Message Id: cdl-27-46-019
                                  ***