5 5. CONCLUSIONS

“Research into stone conservation demands an interdisciplinary approach. Many researchers, however, find themselves working alone or in relatively small teams. As a result research can become too narrow, failing to take into account factors that might seem self-evident to somebody trained in another discipline” (Price 1996, 34).

We have viewed this article as a contribution to a research area that affords much potential for the interdisciplinary approach advocated by Clifford A. Price (1996). It is hoped that the results reported and the implications arising from them will be of interest and some relevance to conservation and conservation science perspectives on stone deterioration. Over the past century, geomorphologists have produced an abundant literature on many aspects of stone weathering, some within conservation contexts (Merrill 1900; Barton 1916; Emery 1960; Goudie 1977). In recent years, however, they have shown a welcome tendency to tap into the literature of other disciplines (e.g., Evans 1970; McGreevy and Whalley 1984; Yatsu 1988; Goudie and Viles 1997), a tendency that has undoubtedly brought many benefits. We would encourage others to do likewise.