Issues of Exhibition and Keeping of Wooden Artefacts from the Urals Peat Bog Sites

Abstract

The article is focused on the issues of exhibition, conservation and restoration of wooden aftefacts kept in Sverdlovsk regional museum of local lore named after O.Ye. Kler. Such artefacts are exhibited in the Shigir collection of stray finds collected during gold mining in late 19th – early 20th centuries, including the Big Shigir idol – the most ancient wooden monumental sculpture. Since 2007 artefacts from excavations of peat bog sites in the Urals are transferred to the Museum. Special conditions for exhibition and storage of wooden and bone artefacts were made in Sverdlovsk regional museum of local lore, but it is rather difficult to maintain these conditions in the current stage of technical equipment. The article presents the history of the find of the Big Shigir idol and its damage during various periods: in the living culture, during archaeologisation, and during its exhibition. Questions of conservation of wooden and bone artefacts from the Shigir and Gorbunovo peat bogs are also discussed in the article.

Keywords

• archaeology
• big shigir idol
• restoration
• conservation
• exhibition
• shigir peat bog
• gorbunovo peat bog
• field conservation