Deterioration levels of excavated metal objects: a case study of Fort Jesus museum

Abstract

Fort Jesus in Mombasa (Kenya) is located on the coast of Indian Ocean.(Appendix A). In 1967, a Portuguese warship was sunk in this harbour below the fort. The term Mombasa Wreck Excavation was used to describe the expedition that intended to salvage objects from the sunken ship between 1977-1980. The excavation revealed a lot artifacts that needed immediate conservation. A conservation laboratory was set up and a storeroom was identified. To date, the objects excavated from the ship are still in the storeroom while some are on display in the museum gallery. The conservation laboratory is being used to look after the objects. Fort Jesus was chosen as a site of study because of the uniqueness of th.•e objects in its custody and because of the concerns that the objects are in bad shape. This study was intended to find out the general condition of the objects. It also aimed at establishing the prevailing conditions in the storage for the past 15years to determine how these are contributing to the deterioration of the objects. The assessment of the condition was done only on metal objects. Samples of metal objects were taken from the storage and assessed. Microscopes and handlens were used to obtain the fine details of deterioration not visible to the naked eye. Data sets were combined to interpret the extent of damage of the objects. Most objects are stable and in good condition. Apparently, most of the previous treatments are intact. The fluctuations of the environmental conditions have almost stayed the same. The deterioration of some of the objects can be related to poor storage building. Improvement on the roofing, walls, drainage system and the floor will reduce damage to the objects.