According to Richard Owens in The Times (April 17, 2008), prehistoric treasures unearthed in the Alps as melting glaciers recede are under threat from looters who are removing many of them.
Such is the concern for the newly revealed objects - which include weapons, clothing and tools - that a task force of archaeologists, anthropologists, mountain […]

In Memoriam John Winter (1936-2008)John Winter, Conservation Scientist in the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research at the Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, passed away on March 24, 2008.
John was born in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, England in 1936. He attended Cambridge University, where he […]

The Munch Museum in Oslo has announced that two of its most famous paintings are to go back on display after a lengthy conservation project to repair damaged caused following their theft in 2004. Edvard Munch’s Scream and Madonna were stolen from the museum by armed robbers in August 2004, and were not recovered until […]

Following the announcement (covered in the December 2007 issue of News in Conservation) that the UK’s Textile Conservation Centre (TCC) will close in 2009, an online petition has been organised to protest about the closure. The petition, which can only be signed by British citizens or residents, can be found […]

A new centre for research into the conservation of plastics has recently opened in Naples, funded by Italian art collector Maria Pia Incutti. Plart is described as “a polyfunctional space dedicated to scientific research and technological innovation for the recovery, restoration and conservation of works of art and design in plastic”. The centre will contain […]

The iconic Namdaemun gate in Seoul, South Korea, was badly damaged by fire following an arson attack in February. A fire broke out in the evening of 10 February 2008, destroying the wooden parts of the upper gate, but leaving the lower stone parts intact. Two disposable lighters were found at the scene, and 69-year-old […]

AATA Online, formerly the Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts, has published its most recent quarterly update in January 2008. The update contains a list of the publications that have been abstracted between October 2007 and January 2008, and shows how many articles have been abstracted from each publication. AATA online has recently added new publications […]

Zahi Hawass, head the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, recently suggested that Egypt might pass laws to copyright its historic monuments and artefacts, including the pyramids. If passed, the laws would apply to any full-scale, accurate replicas of artefacts, or to images of monuments that were intended for commercial use. Hawass said that any money […]