The Steam Engine

Paddle Ship Patris

Conservation of Artifacts and
Wheel from the Shipwreck
using Electrochemical
Methods
Presented by V. Argyropoulos
TEI of Athens
The photos in this presentation are shown with the permission of Museum of Industrial Heritage of Syros.
.Lungley & Co, Deptford (1859) for Greek King and sank after hitting a reef
in 1868 off the coast of Kea where it was found in 2006 at 55 m depth
One of the largest shipwrecks of its kind in the
Mediterranean region
The Raising of Artifacts
COLLABORATION
Museum of Industrial
Heritage of Syros
Ministry of Culture
National Institution of
Research
Department of Underwater
Antiquities
Underwater Filming
Research (UFR) diving
team
Co-production of E.R.T.
(Hellenic Television) &
production company
TEXNIS.
AIM of this documentary is to
promote the subject on
an international level.
Problems
Divers do remove metal artifacts and large
pieces from the sea without any conservation
planning
Electrochemical Methods are not in use by
professional C-Rs for the cleaning or
stabilization of metals (lack of know-how, and
techniques for diagnosis and monitoring of
objects undergoing treatments)
2003 Removal of a WWII German Junkers
Airplane off the coast of Leros island
Paddle Wheel raised in May 2007
Port of Island of Syros
Height 4,7 m and diameter 6,5 m,
Weight about 12 tonnes
In-situ Radiography of Wheel
Approach to Salvage the Object
Move object away from Port to Museum
and create an exhibition place to protect it
Carry out documentation and analysis of
the object
Build a replicate of the wheel
Try to stabilize using Impressed Current
RAISE MORE MONEY for conservation of
the object!!!!!!
Treatment of collection in TEI
25 Artifacts
Copper & Iron Alloys, Composite
(wood, textile, leather)
Surface layers: marine concretions &
corrosion products
Stages of conservation
treatments by students
Documentation
Diagnostic analyses (X-Ray
Radiography, XRF, SEM)
Chemical & mechanical cleaning of
concretions
Stabilization with chemicals
Corrosion Inhibitors & Protective
Coatingss
Problems with the application of
electrochemical treatments
It requires constant supervision
Students cannot undertake such projects
at an undergraduate level?
Work can only be carried out in final year
(internship and/or undergraduate thesis) or
at Masters level training
Before Conservation
After conservation
Before Conservation
After conservation
Before Conservation
After conservation
Future Plan
-raise national funding to promote
research and conservation of marine
artefacts removed from the sea
-promote in-situ conservation of
shipwrecks and tourism of
underwater parks
-create a conservation laboratory for
marine artefacts on Syros