Preservation of clay carving from the citadel of the Kulan settlement

Abstract

This article considers a complete cycle of work on the preservation of carved decor, revealed during excavations of the Kulan settlement in 2015. An attempt was made to preserve carved clay panels on the site by preventive preservation methods (canopy arrangement, fabric coating), but due to the contact of walls with the soil mass and the accumulation of water-soluble salts on the surface of the thread, carved plaster was further destroyed. In 2017, fragments of carved clay panels were removed from the walls of the citadel premises for laboratory conservation and restoration. Removal was carried out in autumn in conditions of high humidity of the room, therefore, methods were previously developed that did not fix clay by deep impregnation. In laboratory conditions, for the safe implementation of restoration measures, clay was strengthened to the entire thickness of plaster by impregnation with a solution of a consolidant, after which water-soluble salts and later layers were removed, scattered fragments were combined, assembled on a new base, exposure panels were prepared in accordance with the arrangement of the preserved carvings on the walls of the excavated room. In the process of work, both generally accepted methods for the restoration of monumental painting from archaeological excavations and their own developments of the scientific and restoration laboratory “Ostrov Krym” were used. In 2021, the restored panels were transferred to the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan.