16.2: Introduction and Figures

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The purpose of conservation is to investigate and preserve objects, and the information they hold, and to make both accessible for study and enjoyment now and in the future. This paper focuses on conservation as a means of interpreting meaning, in that decisions on conservation procedures depend on assessing the material, the significance and the intended future use of an object. The presence of writing frequently adds significance and possible uses which must be taken into account. It also has a considerable influence on conservation decisions; in extreme cases conservators may be faced with a choice between long-term preservation without investigation of written text, or material alteration (and possible loss of some other potentially valuable evidence) in order to retrieve text. This chapter also discusses the advent of digital imaging which has introduced exciting new possibilities for elucidation and preservation of, and access to, written text.