Science of Conservation

March 23, 2021

Kimberly Kenyon, Senior Conservator for the Queen Anne's Revenge Shipwreck Project

Join Kimberly Kenyon, senior conservator for the Queen Anne's Revenge Shipwreck Project, as she shares why conservation is so critical to archaeology and learn about some of the processes involved. Discover how archaeology does not end once an artifact is unearthed. Learn how following excavation, an object may require months or years of conservation before it is stable enough for further research or exhibit. See why this is particularly true of artifacts from a marine environment, such as those submerged in the waters off North Carolina's coast.

Partnering since 1975, NOAA and the state of North Carolina work to research, honor, and protect the hallmarks of North Carolina's underwater cultural heritage: shipwrecks. From violent storms and dangerous shoals to world wars, the waters off North Carolina have claimed thousands of ships and lives over hundreds of years. These shipwrecks hold information about the ever changing technologies and cultural and physical landscapes. They serve as a uniquely accessible underwater museum and a memorial to generations of mariners who lived, died, worked and fought off our shores.