19th century ceramic pipe

The clay tobacco pipe (PN 1015) was discovered by archaeologists during underwater excavations of the Fizine area in 2018.

It is of utmost importance that all underwater finds are desalinated to prevent further degradation. The pipe was desalinated together with other finds, by soaking in water and measuring its conductivity. Water was changed frequently until the items were thoroughly desalinated.

This was followed by cleaning using a steam cleaner specially adapted for conservation-restoration purposes. The steam must be used with care and under low pressure to avoid damages to the original surface. Algae, sludge residues and calcite deposits, inside the pipe, were removed mechanically using small tools.

The break edges of the cleaned and dried item were consolidated prior to the reconstruction of the missing rim. The object’s surface was protected with a reversible coating that is safe for the object. A mould of the missing part was created in the reconstruction of the rim, the reconstruction was then retouched. The reconstruction should be recognizable on close inspection so as to differentiate it from the original, however the overall impression of the object should be homogenous.

The conserved pipe will be on display at the exhibition "The Secrets of Fizine".

Conservation - restoration: Ajda Purger, Senior Conservator-Restorer, December 2020