December 2021

The team at the Conservation Research Lab (CRL) are continuing their work on the ship remnant found at the Hotel Indigo Site (44AX229). Conservators are still working to remove the last remains of stubborn iron fasteners from the wood. They are using both mechanical (like drilling) and chemical means to remove these bolts. The CRL team has had to engineer some novel solutions, like a support jig, to drive out the most stubborn fasteners more effectively.

The conservators estimate that the timbers will be iron-free very soon and will then be immersed in basins of polyethylene glycol (PEG). This inert, waxy substance essentially replaces any water within the timber, allowing the artifact to be stored and exhibited without the wood warping, cracking, or shrinking. Once this step is completed, the CRL team will freeze dry the ship timbers, removing any remaining water from the wood. This remaining conservation process is scheduled to take a few more years and the Hotel Indigo Site ship is expected to return to Alexandria in late 2024.