3 CONCLUSIONS

3.1 Benefits

IN SUM THE CONTAINERS provide these benefits:

1. increased control over humidity fluctuation in a non-airconditioned building;
2. increased separation of the specimen from sources of particulate and gaseous pollution;
3. the option to easily view both reverse and obverse sides of the textile without handling it;
4. a rigid, puncture resistant support that prohibits casual flexing and abrasion of the textile;
5. dark storage conditions in and out of cabinetry;
6. safe accessibility for study and transport;
7. ease in maintaining a rotating exhibit.

3.2 Applicability

THE STORAGE CONTAINER designed for archaeological textile collections offers one method of slowing the rate of deterioration of massive collections without necessitating chemically alternating treatments and without exhorbitant expense. It is an initial step that will allow time to carry out more intensive treatments at an unhurried pace. Concurrently, collection use can proceed without collection damage. For all collections where pristineness of chemical composition is valued for research purposes, containerization recommends itself as a purely mechanical method of preservation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I AM INDEBTED to Wendy Shah for her devoted work in assembling the containers, to Jane Drake Piechota for her criticism and to Marjorie Cohn for her criticism and for reading this paper at Fort Worth in June, 1978.

• Drawing by Deborah Stott
• Photographs by Hillel Burger