Preventive conservation of monumentsfollowodysseus.culture.gr/Portals/54/Material/Telika/...The...
Transcript of Preventive conservation of monumentsfollowodysseus.culture.gr/Portals/54/Material/Telika/...The...
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MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTGENERAL DIRECTORATE OF ANTIQUITIES AND CULTURAL HERITAGE
DIRECTORATE OF MUSEUMS/ DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND COMMUNICATION
Preventive conservation of monuments
Prevent,
Protect
Predict,
... monuments from the ravages of time!
Preventive
conservation:
a shield that
protects
monuments
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To begin with: what is a monument?
That’s a title we read in newspapers and on the internet, a phrase we frequently hear.
But what does this phrase mean?
In the past the term monument was used
to refer to sculptures and architectural
compositions, which man created in order to
honour and preserve the memory of a person
or a historical event. Nowadays we consider
that any product of human endeavour, which
endures as a testament of an age and not
solely sculpture or architecture, but also
painting, music, narrative etc. is a monument
Monuments at risk!
The Monument to the Tobacco Producers by sculptor Thymios
Panourgias was erected in Kypseli, Agrinio, in memory
of their bloody uprising against the government in 1962.
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Monuments are passed on from generation to
generation, transferring with them particular
values: archaeological, artistic, technological,
economic, and others. They are vested with
special significance by each generation, as
they become part of the life and common points
of reference for the people who live alongside
them, irrespective of gender, age and derivation.
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Weather conditions (including humidity and frost, salts and
microorganisms) pose frequent threats to the materials of
which monuments are made.
So do major natural disasters, such as earthquakes
and fires. The greatest dangers, however, come from
human activities:
Air pollution
due to increased use of fossil
fuels dissolves and destroys
urban monuments.
What dangers threaten the sculptures and architectural monuments?
The Fountains at Menites
on the island of Andros.
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Additionally increases in ambient temperatures due to
the greenhouse effect and the hole in the ozone
layer are expected to accellerate the rate at
which chemical reactions and microbiological
processes take place to the detriment of the
materials of which monuments are made.
Monuments along the coast are under
direct threat from elevated sea levels.
Finally, during wars and
conflicts, monuments can
be irreparably harmed by
bombing, looting, arson,
vandalism etc.Rising water levels in Venice.
Traces of bullets on Hadrian’s
Arch in Athens.
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Conservation is a professional field that includes
all the work undertaken in order to slow down the
destruction of monuments; to take care of them and
to preserve them in a condition
similar to what they were originally like,
for as long as possible.
This work includes examining the monuments;
recording any issues; and a variety of
interventions to clean, re-affix, stabilise the
materials of the monuments. Monument conservation can by systematic or
preventive and is undertaken by conservators of antiquities.
By conservation!
How do we keep monuments going?
Conservation of mosaics in Daphni Monastery
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Systematic conservation of monuments is undertaken
by conservators of antiquities and works of art and
includes all the interventions undertaken in order to
treat the ruined materials from which these are made.
Such interventions include cleaning, joining,
stabilising, filling in with new materials etc.
What is the systematic conservation of monuments?
Completing monuments, such as the Tholos
at Epidaurus, which is done using tested
new materials and methods.
Joining fragments of a wall
painting from Tiryns.
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With preventive conservation, conservators locate and intervene
in environmental risks that threaten monuments in order to avoid
damage to their materials. Cutting weeds, repelling birds,
cleaning the surrounding area,
stopping vehicular traffic
in the area are all actions
that fall withing the purview of
“preventive conservation”.
What is preventive conservation of monuments?
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• to locate the risks that threaten monuments;
• to prevent greater destruction and the need for
systematic conservation of materials;
• to lengthen the life-span of systematic conservation
interventions that have already taken place (e.g. cleaning,
reattaching etc.);
• they cost less;
• they encourage communication with and participation of the
public in the issue of maintaining monuments of our cultural heritage.
The work of preventive conservation must be done
regularly and with care:
Why is preventive conservation so important?
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What can we do?
Each and every one of us should become actively involved in preventive
maintenance activities on the monuments of our country, our town,
or, even better, our neighbourhood, as these monuments are our
cultural heritage.
The Lambraki monu-
ment in Thessaloniki.
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We learn how to behave correctly
around monuments; we organise groups
and collaborate with the competent
authority for the conservation of the
monument (Ephorate of Antiquities,
Local Government, private
individuals); we take part in public
consciousness raising; we help keep the area tidy etc.
How do we do that?
ιουνιοσνέο ΑρχΑιολογικο Μουσέιο Μυτιλήνήσ
Μουσέιο Φυσικήσ ιστοριΑσ ΑπολιθωΜένου ΔΑσουσ λέσβου
ΑρχΑιολογικοσ χωροσ ΑρχΑιΑσ έλέυθέρνΑσ
τέΜένοσ κΑρΑ ΜουσΑ πΑσΑ, πΑλιΑ πολή ρέθυΜνου
Αργυρουπολή ρέθυΜνου
ΑΜΑρι ρέθυΜνου
ΑρχΑιολογικο Μουσέιο βρΑυρωνΑσ
υγροτοποσ βρΑυρωνΑσ
πυλή του ΑΔριΑνου
ΑρχΑιολογικοσ χωροσ ολυΜπιέιου
Μονή κΑισΑριΑνήσ
ΑρχΑιολογικοσ χωροσ κέρΑΜέικου
βυζΑντινοι νΑοι κΑλυβιων Αττικήσ
σουριζΑ, έθνικοσ ΔρυΜοσ σουνιου
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πρΑσινέσπολιτιστικέσ
ΔιΑΔροΜέσ
ΥποΥργείο πολίτίσμοΥ καί τοΥρίσμοΥ
γεΝίκΗ ΔίεΥΘΥΝσΗ αρΧαίοτΗτΩΝ καί πολίτίστίκΗσ κλΗροΝομίασ
ΔίεΥΘΥΝσΗ μοΥσείΩΝ, εκΘεσεΩΝ καί εκπαίΔεΥτίκΩΝ προγραμματΩΝ (Δμεεπ)
www.yppo.gr
www.visitgreece.gr
Athens, 2015
Project coordinatorMaria Lagogianni, Ph.D. (Archaeology)Souzana Choulia – Kapeloni, Archaeologist
General editingTonia Koutsouraki, ArchaeologistAlexandra Seleli, Archaeologist - Museologist
Graphic Design EditorSpilios Pistas, Graphic artist
TextsSofia Papida, Conservator of Antiquities and Works of Art - Museologist
Translation into English Katerina Apostolaki, Translator - Interpreter
Digital and Graphic DesignPashalia Tsagarian, Graphic designerIrene Charalampidi, Graphic designer
IllustratorElias Karras, Painter
© 2015 Ministry of Culture and SportISBN 978-960-386-216-1
The leaflet Systematic conservation” of the theme “Preventive conservation: a shield for protecting monuments” was created and digitised in 2015, within the framework of Action code no. MIS 339815 “Updating and digitizing educational material to support the educational process, which is implemented by the Directorate of Museums as part of the Operational Programme “Education and Lifelong Learning” and jointly funded by the European Union (European Social Fund) and by national funds.