1 #IconArchTC Good afternoon everyone, today I am presenting my work to date on this amazing Iron Age bowl. @AOCArchaeology were contracted to carry out the conservation of The Cairns bowl and a peg by the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) @UHIArchaeology

2 #IconArchTC UHI has carried out multiple excavation seasons at The Cairns Broch in beautiful South Ronaldsay, Orkney. These narrow steps led down to a well where the wooden bowl and peg were found. Waterlogged, anaerobic conditions contributed to their excellent preservation

3 #IconArchTC The bowl was lifted with the surrounding soil and required micro-excavation in the lab. I used small tools and brushes to carefully remove the soil. The bowl was highly fragmented, as I removed each piece I took detailed recordings along the way

4 #IconArchTC After micro-excavation I gently washed the bowl fragments. The bowl has a beautifully smooth burnished exterior, tool marks on the interior surfaces and a scar where a handle once protruded. Though the bowl is fragmentary the wood is well preserved and quite robust

5 #IconArchTC To my surprise I found ancient repairs including multiple wavy rivets, a large staple and a small rim mount. The rivets were tricky to see so I x-rayed all the bowl fragments revealing their location. This also helped locate joins between the broken fragments

6 #IconArchTC The bowl underwent scientific analysis including residue analysis, XRF of the metal rivets, C14 dating and environmental analysis of the soil fill. See if you can spot the residue on this muddy base sherd!

7 #IconArchTC Dry reconstruction revealed the bowls shape, size, and completeness. Taking lots of working shots allowed me to record fragment locations, essential for facilitating my @AOCArchaeology colleagues to study the wood and record it by illustration and photogrammetry

8 #IconArchTC The bowl was digitally reconstructed by @AOCArchaeology using photogrammetry, this gave us 360 degree view of the bowl for the first time. It also provided an exciting opportunity for our client @UHIArchaeology to see the bowl before conservation is even complete

9 #IconArchTC Orkney 3D used the photogrammetry data to print a scale replica of the bowl. This amazing replica is a really fun approach to interacting with a fragile and significant artefact in a way which would never usually be possible

10 #IconArchTC But the bowl wasn’t the only amazing find, this well preserved wooden peg was also found in the well. It has a notched head and has been compared to a modern tent peg!

11 #IconArchTC Final conservation treatment processes are now underway; the peg and bowl are undergoing pre-treatment in polyethylene glycol prior to vacuum freeze drying. Watch this space for updates including results from scientific analysis @UHIArchaeology and @AOCArchaeology

12 #IconArchTC Thank you for following! Plus a big thanks to Martin Carruthers from @UHIArchaeology for all his support throughout the project, Orkney 3D and to my @AOCArchaeology colleagues including Gretel Evans, Dr Anne Crone, Dr Graeme Cavers and Charlotte Douglas