Object characteristics to consider when identifying appropriate climate conditions for conserved waterlogged archaeological wood

Waterlogged archaeological wood is an extremely heterogeneous material that varies based on the material properties of the wood, degradation type and extent, deposition environment, conservation agent and treatment methods. Despite this heterogeneity, the climate recommendations given for objects made from this material rarely consider this. More often than not, the recommendations are general to all wood material or, even more broadly, all organic material. This paper synthesises the information available in the fields of conservation and wood material science to highlight how these characteristics can greatly impact what storage/exhibition conditions are appropriate and safe. It highlights that some objects may be at greater risk than others of damage due to inappropriate climate and that the decisions made during conservation can greatly impact the future stability of these objects. This paper shows that providing exact value recommendations for the humidity and temperature at which all waterlogged archaeological wood should be stored is not possible, given the inherent variability of the material. Instead, the aim is to aid conservators in making more informed decisions about what climate conditions are appropriate for the objects under their care, whilst also highlighting the need for further research in this field.