Conservation of a Neolithic plaster statue

from ‘Ain Ghazal, JordanSupervisors: Kathy Tubb, Institute of Archaeology, University College London, UK

Hans–Joachim Leithner, University of Applied Sciences, Erfurt, Germany

INTRODUCTION: A group of stunning anthropomorphic lime plaster statues was excavated at the

Neolithic site of ‘Ain Ghazal, Jordan in 1983 [1]. The statues, carbon dated to 8700 BP, were found

stacked on top of each other in a pit. Due to the complexity of the find the whole cache was carefully

block-lifted and transferred to the Institute of Archaeology, UCL in London for treatment. This poster

describes the conservation of one of the statues following initial consolidation and separation.

OBJECT DESCRIPTION: The bust-like figure has a stout body with an elongated slender neck that

carries a relatively flat head. Facial features are simplified, dominated by the eyes, which are large

and accentuated with a bituminous mastic. A broad ochre stripe runs across each cheek. The object

was modelled by applying calcareous plaster over a bundle of reeds secured with twine, which can be

reconstructed from well defined impressions of the plant materials in the plaster surface [2].

CONDITION: During burial the organic reed core had decomposed and the internal void thus created

had partly collapsed, causing severe fragmentation and deformation. The neck section was broken

into over 90 fragments and the nose is destroyed due to the pressure of an adjacent figure. The figure

was previously part-consolidated and protective bandages were applied to allow for its separation

from the cache [3]. The plaster was powdery and crumbling in non-consolidated areas. The surface

was soiled, particularly at the lower body where dirt had inadvertently been brushed in during

excavation. Considerable surface damage at the back of the figure appears to have been caused by

insects. The bitumen applications were missing on the left eye and extremely brittle where preserved.

The ochre pigment on the face was powdery.

CONSERVATION: Old protective bandages and internal soil were carefully removed. Thorough

mapping of the surface was undertaken for precise reconstruction. Loose fragments down to a size

of 3mm were transferred to 1:1 scaled photographs of the figure to facilitate later repositioning.

Particularly fractured areas were temporarily faced with gauze and Paraloid B-72. Surface cleaning

was carried out under 10x magnification, mostly with scalpel and needle. Fragile areas, such as the

ochre paint, were consolidated first using 5% Paraloid B-72 in acetone. In previously consolidated

areas cleaning was carried out mostly with a 1:1 mixture of acetone and IMS applied with cotton

swabs in a careful rolling manner. The front of the body with the brushed-in soil was successfully

Laser cleaned in collaboration with the British Museum. Powdery and crumbly plaster was

consolidated using 5% Paraloid B-72 in toluene.

An internal Perspex support structure was designed to allow vertical presentation of the figure by

taking the weight of the head off the fragile neck section. A bundle of seven Perspex rods of 3 and

4mm diameter were joined using dichloromethane and inserted into the void left by the decayed

reed bundle. The void was then tightly padded with polyester wadding to stabilise the Perspex rods

whilst preserving the internal impressions of reed and twine in the plaster. The support structure

was first fitted into the main body and head. The fragmented neck section was then carefully

assembled around the structure using Paraloid -B72. In missing areas small bridges of BJK dough,

a mastic from jute flock, polyvinyl butyral, kaolin and solvents, were applied and covered with a

smooth layer of glass micro-balloons in Paraloid B-72. The gap-filled areas were kept 1mm below

original level and painted slightly lighter than the surrounding areas using matt Windsor and

Newton acrylic paint. Bitumen applications that had become dislocated were re-attached using

Klucel G. To transfer the extremely delicate fragments, only the surface tension of a small wetted

cotton bud was used.

Liesa Brierley

Cache of statues still in-situ. The object discussed is

highlighted in red (photo: B. F. Byrd).

Preparations for block-lifting,1983 (photo: B. F. Byrd).

Particularly fractured areas during and after

conservation. Top left shows the temporary gauze

facing applied to hold fragments together.

Assembly of neck section around internal

Perspex support structure (photo: K. Tubb)

Re-attaching the embrittled bituminous

mastic of eye and pupilGap filling using a small spatula carved from

a cocktail stick

Application of glass micro balloons in

Paraloid B-72 (photo: K. Tubb)

Impressions of twine made from plant material

on the internal surface of the plaster fragments

Object after separation from cache, as received

for conservation treatment Map of Jordan - ‘Ain Ghazal is indicated in red

fragmentation

(more than 100

parts)

deformation and

loss

brushed-in soil

insect damage

powdery pigment

Eye applications

missing or brittle

surface powdery

and soiled

Schematic cross-sections of original and decayed statesMapping of damage

REFERENCES

[1] Rollefson, G. O., ‘The 1983 season at the early Neolithic site of Ain Ghazal’, National geographic research 1 (1985) 44-62

[2] Tubb, K. W., and Grissom C. A., ‘Ayn Ghazāl: a comparative study of the 1983 and 1985 statuary caches´, Studies in the history

and archaeology of Jordan, ed. Amr, K., Zayadin, F, and Zaghloul, M., Department of Antiquities, Amman 5 (1995) 437- 447

[3] Tubb, K. W., ‘Conservation of the lime plaster statues of ‘Ain Ghazal’, in Recent advances in the conservation and analysis of

artefacts, ed. Black, J., Summer Schools Press University of London (1987) 387-391

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my supervisor Kathy Tubb for

entrusting me with this object and her continuous support.

I am indebted to ‘Evangelisches Studienwerk e.V. Villigst’

for generous sponsorship during my studies.

Contact: Liesa.Brierley@googlemail.com

Object after conservation