The Netherlands: 1700 years old sarcophagus in restoration

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The Living Force
Source (Dutch only): Sarcofaag van Simpelveld wordt uit elkaar gehaald

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NOS News - Domestic - Culture & Media - Today, 15:01

Sarcophagus of Simpelveld is being dismantled

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Restorer Renske Dooijes at the sarcophagus - Image: RMO Leiden


The Sarcophagus of Simpelveld will be taken apart for a major restoration. It is the first time that this will be done with the masterpiece of the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden.

"It is a very large, complicated job. We don't do this every day," says conservator Renske Dooijes. "I normally only deal with smaller objects made of stone".

"It's a bit exciting. The coffin is made of sandstone and that's a weak type of stone, which crumbles easily. But I have faith in the specialized companies we work with, they know the risks of moving such a heavy piece. And we keep a close eye on everything".

A glance into the past

The 1700 year old sarcophagus of 2.5 meters long has a weight of approximately 800 kilos. It was accidentally found in 1930 during construction work. Although it was broken into several pieces, a gracefully sculpted interior turned out to be surprisingly well preserved. A relief depicts a Roman living room with the deceased.

"It is a unique object," says Dooijes. "Through that interior we learn more about what a Roman house looked like. The furniture is depicted in extraordinary detail, up to a keyhole in a cupboard".

In the coffin, the remains of a wealthy woman and grave goods such as a perfume bottle, gold jewelry and a silver mirror were found. Some years later, the remains of a Roman villa were discovered near the site.

Mortar removal

Before the restoration, Dooijes will first have to undo old repair work: fracture lines have been modified with mortar in the past. "That resembles the sandstone of the coffin, but the water with which mortar is made penetrates the porous stone. As a result, dirt or color residue settles like a rim up further into the stone. That discoloration is a real nuisance".

Therefore, polishing with water is out of the question. "We think of dry methods, such as erasers or gels that emit very light moisture and immediately absorb it again. We're going to test them first".

In addition, the wooden frame on which the sarcophagus has been resting for almost a century will be replaced by a steel version. This should make it easier to move the huge object without damaging it. "The wooden frame is too flexible. Because the coffin is so incredibly heavy, friction could cause damage along the fracture lines".

First, X-rays are taken today to see whether Dooijes' predecessors secured the coffin by drilling metal pins into it. "We would never do anything like that nowadays, but in the past that was common for such a heavy thing. It would certainly be annoying; then it would be an extra job to remove those pins. But who knows, we might get lucky."

Small 'turd'

Dooijes and her colleagues also take advantage of the restoration to do some extra research. For example, they look for any pigment residues that may have remained, indicating that the relief used to be colored. They also look carefully at a lump of metal that has rusted onto the stone.

"We hope that there are textile residues in that 'turd'," says Dooijes. "It's probably a tiny knife-blade. You can still see the edge where it has been lying, which has been worked out into a piece of furniture. It would be nice if we would know more about that later on".

As the sarcophagus is too heavy to move, the restoration is done on location. Because the restorers do their work in a glass room, visitors can observe. The work will last approximately until January next year.

"However, you never know what you're going to encounter. The work can be disappointing or not too bad. And if you're out of luck, you can just have to work on it much longer".


Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)


Links in English:
Homepage Engels - Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
Rijksmuseum van Oudheden - Wikipedia

In Dutch:
De sarcofaag van Simpelveld - Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
Sarcofaag van Simpelveld - Wikipedia
 
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