Conservation strategies and challenges for archaeological non-waterlogged lacquered wooden artifacts

Non-waterlogged lacquered wooden artifacts refer to a class of archaeological finds unearthed from brick, stone or soil semi-arid burial environments that exhibit a moist but water-deficient state. Due to there being insufficient water to fill the wood's pores, these artifacts display different deterioration characteristics from waterlogged lacquered wooden artifacts, such as completely rotten wood where the lacquer film becomes cracked, wrinkled and peels off. In this study we investigated the unique properties of non-water-saturated lacquered wooden artifacts from archaeological excavations, analyzed typical degradation patterns, and evaluated the current state of their conservation. The work draws on recent research in the preservaton of non-waterlogged lacquered wooden artifacts and the painted lacquered coffin from the Ming Dynasty tomb of Zhao Liang restored by the Capital Museum. We review conservation methods, challenges and limitations in this area. Our aim is to provide a valuable reference for the conservation of similar fragile lacquered wooden artifacts unearthed in China.