Conservation of Mosaics in Situ

A vast number of mosaic pavements from the Roman and Byzantine eras in the Mediterranean region are at risk of loss. The Mosaics in Situ project sought to address this by working with three national authorities to: develop a better understanding of the causes of deterioration of in situ mosaics and methods for their maintenance, conservation, and presentation; develop training in the care, maintenance, and management of sites with mosaics; and to convene professional meetings and conferences.

• A methodology for rapid assessment of existing shelters over mosaics in England and Israel was developed and presented at the 2005 ICCM conference in Tunisia and the 2008 ICCM conference in Palermo, Italy.
• A 2004 assessment of the Orpheus mosaic in Paphos, Cyrus, and its protective shelter was carried out with the Department of Antiquities and the Archaeological Research Institute of the University of Cyprus. Results were presented at the 2005 ICCM conference in Tunisia.
• The development of methodologies and protocols for activities critical to future research, testing, or on-site interventions in mosaics conservation, with implementation at two sites in Israel: Khirbet Minya/Horvat Minnim and the Byzantine monastery of Kyria Maria at the site of Beth Shean
• A glossary of conservation terms was developed to establish a common vocabulary for describing and recording conditions of and treatments to a mosaic.
• Comparative exposure testing at the site of Caesarea, Israel, documented and quantified the role of maintenance in the preservation of mosaics.
• A hands-on training initiative focused on the care, maintenance, and management of sites with mosaics that produced teams of skilled Tunisian technicians who could address basic maintenance and stabilization needs of in situ archaeological mosaics, as well as didactic and reference materials in French, English, and Arabic including a glossary of terms used for graphic documentation.
• A series of workshops in collaboration with the Institut National du Patrimoine (INP) of Tunisia to build greater professional capacity within the INP
• A series of professional meetings and conferences in Cyprus, Tunisia, and New Mexico to further understanding of the needs of the field and provide a forum for professional discussion of mosaic conservation

Mosaic pavements constitute a shared inheritance from the Roman and Byzantine world throughout the Mediterranean region. Due to the vast number of mosaics presently at risk, there is an urgency to determine common problems, to promote the exchange of information, and to coordinate efforts in exploring means of better conserving these important historic documents and artistic creations of the past.

English Heritage; Israel Antiquities Authority, Conservation Department; Institut National du Patrimoine, Tunisia