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The Conservation Unit is focused on applied research with the aim to enable the study and to allow the preservation of the archaeological and paleontological materials treated at the IPHES conservation laboratory. We are specialized in bone remains and lithics, but we also work with other remains, such as art engravings, coprolites, leaves and other botanical imprints, etc.

The research aims to find proper methods looking for a balance between effectiveness, compatibility with materials and the needs of future scientific studies of the artifacts and specimens.

The basic research lines are:

• Cleaning methods as key treatments to allow appreciation and to preserve documental value, which includes mechanical and chemical techniques.
• Consolidation, with the main aim of evaluating effectiveness of the consolidants on the archaeological and paleontological materials. This research focuses either on organic resins (acrylic resin) or inorganic products (silicates, nanoparticles, etc.)
• Recording and reproducing the archeopaleontological materials using traditional and new 3D-techniques to guarantee the preservation of the specimens before and during the conservation treatments.