The Problem of Biological Destruction (by Carpenter Millers) of Wood in the Excavation of the "Archaeological Museum "Berestye": history, combating, prespectives

Abstract

In 1968–1981 the archaeologists of the Institute of History of the BSSR Academy of Sciences, headed by Doctor of History P.F. Lysenko, conducted excavations on the Hospital Island (Volyn fortification) of the Brest Fortress (Brest, Republic of Belarus), on the site of the ancient town of Berestye. Museumification of Berestye in the 1970s–1980s was a unique and the only at that time experience of conservation and museumification of such a large archaeological site in the field. The developed original methodology for the conservation of archaeological wood made it possible to museumify a part of the Berestye settlement. Since the discovering of the buildings, a number of problems, related to their preservation, have occured. One of them is the problem of biological destruction of archaeological wood. The experience of combating the woodboring insects in the Berestye archaeological museum is considered.

Keywords

• archaeological wood
• conservation
• berestye ancient settlement
• berestye archaeological museum
• biological destruction of wood
• woodboring insects