The Conservation Research Laboratory and Conservation of Artifacts from the Mardi Gras Shipwreck Project

Conservation of artifacts from underwater archaeological sites is vital, and the role of the Conservation Research Laboratory (CRL) is to ensure the artifacts’ long-term stabilization. Conservation serves several purposes, not the least of which is protecting the tangible remnants of a particular site. These artifacts aid in identification of the site, provide details of the activities of the people inhabiting the site, and also provide the archaeologist, and ultimately the public, with a connection between the past and the present.