The Steam Engine

Paddle Ship “Patris”

Conservation of Artifacts and
Wheel from the Shipwreck
using Electrochemical
Methods

Presented by V. Argyropoulos
TEI of Athens

The photos in this presentation are shown with the permission of “Museum of Industrial Heritage of Syros”.
.Lungley & Co, Deptford (1859) for Greek King and sank after hitting a reef
in 1868 off the coast of Kea where it was found in 2006 at 55 m depth
One of the largest shipwrecks of its kind in the
Mediterranean region
 The Raising of Artifacts
COLLABORATION
• Museum of Industrial
Heritage of Syros
• Ministry of Culture
• National Institution of
Research
• Department of Underwater
Antiquities
• Underwater Filming
Research (UFR) diving
team
Co-production of E.R.T.
(Hellenic Television) &
production company
“TEXNIS”.
AIM of this documentary is to
promote the subject on
an international level.
Problems

• Divers do remove metal artifacts and large

pieces from the sea without any conservation
planning
• Electrochemical Methods are not in use by
professional C-Rs for the cleaning or
stabilization of metals (lack of know-how, and
techniques for diagnosis and monitoring of
objects undergoing treatments)
• 2003 Removal of a WWII German Junkers
Airplane off the coast of Leros island
Paddle Wheel raised in May 2007
Port of Island of Syros
Height 4,7 m and diameter 6,5 m,
Weight about 12 tonnes
In-situ Radiography of Wheel
Approach to Salvage the Object
• Move object away from Port to Museum
and create an exhibition place to protect it
• Carry out documentation and analysis of
the object
• Build a replicate of the wheel
• Try to stabilize using Impressed Current
• RAISE MORE MONEY for conservation of
the object!!!!!!
 Treatment of collection in TEI

• 25 Artifacts
• Copper & Iron Alloys, Composite
(wood, textile, leather)
• Surface layers: marine concretions &
corrosion products
 Stages of conservation
treatments by students
• Documentation
• Diagnostic analyses (X-Ray
Radiography, XRF, SEM)
• Chemical & mechanical cleaning of
concretions
• Stabilization with chemicals
• Corrosion Inhibitors & Protective
Coatingss
 Problems with the application of
electrochemical treatments
• It requires constant supervision
• Students cannot undertake such projects
at an undergraduate level?
• Work can only be carried out in final year
(internship and/or undergraduate thesis) or
at Masters’ level training
 After conservation

Before Conservation
 After conservation

Before Conservation
 After conservation

Before Conservation
 Future Plan

-raise national funding to promote

research and conservation of marine
artefacts removed from the sea
-promote in-situ conservation of
shipwrecks and tourism of
underwater parks
-create a conservation laboratory for
marine artefacts on Syros