SIST EN 18056:2025
(Main)Cultural Heritage - Waterlogged archaeological wood - Characterization of waterlogged archaeological wood to support decision-making processes for its preservation
Cultural Heritage - Waterlogged archaeological wood - Characterization of waterlogged archaeological wood to support decision-making processes for its preservation
This document provides guidelines for the characterization of waterlogged archaeological wood to support decision-making processes for its preservation.
This document can be applied for the management of wood discovered in waterlogged environments, including terrestrial and aquatic (marine and freshwater) sites, as a basis for designing conservation strategies (e.g. reburial, in situ preservation, post-excavation storage). In the case of composite artefacts made of wood and other materials, this document is applicable only for the wooden components. Methods for conservation, site protection and monitoring for reburial as well as in situ preservation are beyond the scope of this document.
Charakterisierung von archäologischem Nassholz als Steuerungsinstrument
Dieses Dokument stellt Leitlinien für die Charakterisierung von archäologischem Nassholz bereit, um den Entscheidungsprozess für dessen Erhaltung zu unterstützen.
Es kann für die Handhabung von Holzfunden in nassen Umgebungen einschließlich terrestrischer und aquatischer Stätten (Salz- und Süßwasser) angewendet werden, um als Grundlage für die Planung von Strategien zur Erhaltung (z. B. Wiedervergraben, In-situ-Erhaltung, Lagerung nach der Ausgrabung) zu dienen. Im Fall von Verbund-Artefakten, die aus Holz und anderen Materialien bestehen, ist dieses Dokument nur auf die hölzernen Bestandteile anwendbar. Konservierungsverfahren, die Sicherung des Fundorts und die Überwachung für ein Wiedervergraben sowie die In-situ-Erhaltung liegen außerhalb des Anwendungsbereiches dieses Dokuments.
Patrimoine culturel - Bois archéologique gorgé d’eau - Caractérisation du bois archéologique gorgé d’eau dans le but de soutenir les processus de prise de décision concernant sa préservation
Le présent document fournit des lignes directrices pour la caractérisation du bois archéologique gorgé d’eau dans le but de soutenir les processus de prise de décision concernant sa préservation.
Ce document peut s’appliquer à la gestion du bois découvert dans des environnements gorgés d’eau, qu’il s’agisse de sites terrestres ou aquatiques (eau de mer et eau douce), et servir de base pour concevoir des stratégies de conservation (par exemple le réenfouissement, la préservation sur site, le stockage post-fouille). Dans le cas d’artefacts composites constitués de bois et d’autres matériaux, le présent document ne s’applique qu’aux éléments en bois. Les méthodes de conservation, de protection du site et de suivi de l’état de conservation pour le réenfouissement, ainsi que la préservation sur site, ne relèvent pas du domaine d’application du présent document.
Kulturna dediščina - Arheološki les, prepojen z vodo - Opredelitev arheološkega lesa, prepojenega z vodo, v podporo postopkom odločanja o njegovi ohranitvi
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-junij-2025
Kulturna dediščina - Arheološki les, prepojen z vodo - Opredelitev arheološkega
lesa, prepojenega z vodo, v podporo postopkom odločanja o njegovi ohranitvi
Cultural Heritage - Waterlogged archaeological wood - Characterization of waterlogged
archaeological wood to support decision-making processes for its preservation
Charakterisierung von archäologischem Nassholz als Steuerungsinstrument
Patrimoine culturel - Bois archéologique gorgé d’eau - Caractérisation du bois
archéologique gorgé d’eau dans le but de soutenir les processus de prise de décision
concernant sa préservation
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 18056:2025
ICS:
97.195 Umetniški in obrtniški izdelki. Items of art and handicrafts.
Kulturne dobrine in kulturna Cultural property and
dediščina heritage
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
EN 18056
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
April 2025
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 97.195
English Version
Conservation of Cultural Heritage - Waterlogged
archaeological wood - Characterization of waterlogged
archaeological wood to support decision-making
processes for its preservation
Conservation du patrimoine culturel - Bois Erhaltung des kulturellen Erbes - Archäologisches
archéologique gorgé d'eau - Caractérisation du bois Nassholz - Charakterisierung von archäologischem
archéologique gorgé d'eau dans le but de soutenir les Nassholz zur Unterstützung von
processus de prise de décision concernant sa Entscheidungsprozessen für seine Erhaltung
préservation
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 2 March 2025.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 18056:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Aim of characterization . 7
4.1 General . 7
4.2 Characterization for preservation by recording . 8
4.3 Characterization for in situ preservation and reburial . 8
4.4 Characterization for remedial conservation . 9
4.4.1 General . 9
4.4.2 On-site characterization . 9
4.4.3 In the laboratory . 9
5 Sampling plans for characterization . 9
6 Characterization methods .10
6.1 General .10
6.2 Wood species identification .10
6.3 Dating and tree ring analyses .10
6.4 Degradation profile .10
6.4.1 General .10
6.4.2 Physical and mechanical properties .10
6.4.3 Morphological alteration .12
6.4.4 Chemical properties .12
7 Data reporting .13
Annex A (informative) Common techniques applied to characterization of chemical properties
of waterlogged wood .14
Bibliography .15
European foreword
This document (EN 18056:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 346 “Conservation
of Cultural Heritage”, the secretariat of which is held by UNI.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by October 2025, and conflicting national standards shall
be withdrawn at the latest by October 2025.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North
Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United
Kingdom.
Introduction
Although waterlogged archaeological wood might appear intact or in good condition, upon excavation,
its physical state can be extremely unstable. This is due to severe changes in its properties, caused by
different deterioration agents during burial. Uncontrolled drying, or even limited exposure to an
uncontrolled environment, can cause undesirable permanent deformation of the wooden structure
altering the integrity of the wooden find.
Microbial activity is the principal agent of degradation in waterlogged environments, and it usually
proceeds inwards from the outer surface of the wood.
It affects the physico-mechanical properties of the material (e.g. strength, hardness, shrinkage and
density) and the structural chemical components of the wood cells.
The application of a preservation strategy will only be successful once full knowledge of the material to
be preserved has been recorded. Characterization of the wood is carried out by specialists and is essential
in order to manage the finds on the site and to aid the implementation of further actions regarding in situ
preservation, reburial, remedial conservation or preservation by record.
The management of archaeological wood on archaeological terrestrial sites is covered by EN 16873:2016,
and in situ preservation and monitoring by EN 17652:2022.
1 Scope
This document provides guidelines for the characterization of waterlogged archaeological wood to
support decision-making processes for its preservation.
This document can be applied for the management of wood discovered in waterlogged environments,
including terrestrial and aquatic (marine and freshwater) sites, as a basis for designing conservation
strategies (e.g. reburial, in situ preservation, post-excavation storage). In the case of composite artefacts
made of wood and other materials, this document is applicable only for the wooden components. Methods
for conservation, site protection and monitoring for reburial as well as in situ preservation are beyond
the scope of this document.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 15898, Conservation of cultural heritage — Main general terms and definitions
EN 16085, Conservation of Cultural property — Methodology for sampling from materials of cultural
property — General rules
EN 16682, Conservation of cultural heritage — Methods of measurement of moisture content, or water
content, in materials constituting immovable cultural heritage
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN 15898 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
archaeological significance
combination of all the archaeological values and heritage interests to present and future generations,
assigned to a find
3.2
basic density
quotient of the mass of the oven dry wood to the water-saturated volume of wood
3.3
collapse
permanent change to the shape of the wood cells due to the uncontrolled evaporation of the free water;
this leads to deformation of the find that cannot be recovered upon remoistening of wood
3.4
conservation/preservation
measures and actions aimed at safeguarding tangible cultural heritage while respecting its significance,
including its accessibility to present and future generations
Note 1 to entry: Conservation embraces preventive conservation, remedial conservation and restoration. It is
important that all measures and actions respect the significance and the physical properties of the cultural heritage
item.
3.5
reburial
systematic reburial of finds at the original excavation site (in situ reburial) or at another suitable location
(ex situ reburial) in order to establish the original environmental conditions under which the object was
previously well preserved as the base of a further preventive conservation strategy
3.6
degradation
result of the process of wood deterioration through physical, chemical and biological factors
3.7
hardness
material's resistance to penetration or indentation
3.8
in-situ preservation
maintaining finds in their original context whilst monitoring factors influencing degradation
3.9
moisture content
MC %
weight of water contained in the wood, expressed as a ratio to the oven-dry weight of the wood
Note 1 to entry: The maximum water content (MWC %) is a particular value of MC % that is reached when all wood
structures (cell walls and cell lumens) are filled with water.
3.10
monitoring
process of collecting and assessing data pertaining to an object, its collection or its environment over time
3.11
pin test
subjective method to assess the penetration resistance (hardness) of an artefact by manually inserting a
needle into the wood
3.12
preventive conservation
all measures and actions aimed at avoiding or minimizing future deterioration or loss and, consequently,
any invasive intervention
Note 1 to entry: These measures are carried out within the context or on the surroundings of a find, but more often
on a group of finds, whatever their age and condition. These measures and actions are indirect – they do not
interfere
...
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