Archaeological Treasures Restoration Workshop
The Archaeological Treasures Restoration Workshop continues the work of the Restoration Section of the Restoration of Wawel Royal Castle, established in the 1960s. It is currently managed by Ewa Gryglewicz. MA. Excavated objects are restored straight away. Each type of material of which excavated objects are made poses different problems, related to identifying the cause of corrosion, removing it and protecting the object against further damage. Removing corrosion from metals is undertaken by chemical and mechanical methods. After removing the corrosion, objects are washed and covered with a protective layer.
The existing fragments of ceramic objects are cleaned and glued, and missing fragments are filled with plaster. Reconstructed vessels are put together according to colour. Leather objects, textile fragments, animal bone and glass objects are removed from the earth, cleaned mechanically, washed, sometimes impregnated and covered with a protective layer. About 12 thousand treasures have been restored so far; most of them made of iron, coloured metals, leather and ceramics.
After the completion of restoration work objects are kept in storage facilities in appropriate conditions.
The workshop also undertakes the restoration of remnants of the Romanesque and pre-Romanesque walls of Wawel Castle.
