ABSTRACT
A critical issue facing the museum curator or the field project manager is that of conserving not only human remains but also artifacts and works of art. In museums, the objects are considered “out of context,” any associations with their original context being potentially obscure. For the purpose of this text, out of context refers to those artifacts or works of art typically held in museum collections, no longer directly associated with mummified remains or the burial site, and that may be either on display or found in the collection vaults of the facility. Paleoimaging can be applied to “see” what may be hidden beneath the surface or within the object. Objects of antiquity can thereby be examined, providing an assessment of the state of preservation at the present time. These data provide the conservator with information regarding the stability of the object and help them make informed decisions regarding the safe movement or transportation of the object. The information may also suggest to the conservator what will be required to stabilize a fragile piece or to repair a broken object. The imaging data will also reveal if any earlier attempts at conservation or repair had been attempted. Imaging can also expose frauds among the collections.
