The conservation of shipwrecks at the museum of maritime archaeology at Ketelhaven

The Zuiderzeeproject comprises the construction of a 32 km long barrier dam between the North Sea and the Zuiderzee and the construction of five polders in the resulting freshwater Lake Lake IJssel. The major part of the project (the barrier dam and four polders) is realised. During the development of the new polders many finds of archaeological and historical value have been found, especially shipwrecks. This report discribes the work which is done in the field of the conservation of those shipwrecks. In the Museum of Maritime Archaeology at Ketelhaven nowadays three basic methods for the conservation of large wooden objects are used: conservation using polyethyleneglycol in water, using polyethyleneglycol dissolved in tertiary butyl alcohol and controlled drying.