Restoring archaeological finds

Have you ever wondered how an archaeological find eventually becomes a museum object? At the Heerlen restoration workshop Restaura, they know all about it.

A team of researchers in the workshop is engaged daily in the treatment and study of archaeological objects. They work on objects made of various materials, including metal, glass, wood, leather and pottery. The team’s activities include making replicas, taking X-rays, and determining which chemical elements are present in a sample or object (XRF analysis).

The workshop also conducts research into Roman remains. In Roman times, when Heerlen was still called Coriovallum, it was a true pottery empire. During the excavations in 1971, a large amount of pottery was uncovered. More than forty pottery kilns were found, including the jug of the potter Lucius Ferenius. The entire pottery collection of Lucius can be admired in the Thermenmuseum. Did you know that the restoration workshop also helped with the cleaning, consolidation and reconstruction of the Roman baths?