NRIMCH to Publish The Conservation of Shipwrecks Excavated from Underwater

- Publication of the English edition to showcase Korea conservation treatment of ancient shipwrecks to the world -

The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage (Kim Seong-bae, Director general), an affiliate of the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, has published a translated version of The Conservation of Shipwrecks Excavated from Underwater, which was originally published in Korean in 2021. The book is being republished in English in an effort to share ancient shipwreck conservation practices and survey results from South Korea with interested parties in other countries.

The book summarizes the conservation treatment and natural science-based analysis of the four ancient shipwrecks that have completed conservation treatment in South Korea. In addition, it details one more that is currently undergoing treatment utilizing a distinct drying method compared to the other four and provides related data and photographs. It introduces the principles of vacuum freeze dryer* and the embedding** method used for the identification and analysis of the species of wood used for the ships’ members.
* Vacuum freeze dryer: A device through which materials are frozen and then dried under a vacuum
**Embedding: The process of hardening samples for microscopic observation.

In the 1980s, the Mokpo Conservation Center (the predecessor institute of the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage) was established to treat a shipwreck excavated in the waters off of Shinan-gun County in Jeollanam-do Province. In the past, the conservation treatment of large waterlogged wooden heritage was carried out using techniques practices developed in other countries. Today, the institute is leading the way in the development of conservation treatment techniques through various studies on large waterlogged archaeological wood structures.

The National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage has been developing and researching conservation treatment methods for maritime cultural heritage for the past forty years, and this book is among the results. We will continue to introduce the results of our conservation treatment and research into maritime cultural heritage to increase overseas interest and understanding of the conservation treatment being performed on Korean maritime cultural heritage and to promote the excellence of Korean conservation science.

The book will be distributed to relevant institutions, museums, and research centers overseas and shared on the website of the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage (http://www.seamuse.go.kr) to provide open access to everyone.