{"id":895,"date":"2018-05-04T12:20:16","date_gmt":"2018-05-04T12:20:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/?p=895"},"modified":"2018-06-02T14:33:47","modified_gmt":"2018-06-02T14:33:47","slug":"from-trenches-to-laboratories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/from-trenches-to-laboratories\/","title":{"rendered":"From Archaeological Trenches to Conservation Laboratories"},"content":{"rendered":"

I still remember the moment last September when I shook the dust off my clothes in a trench for last time, somewhere in eastern Mediterranean, and packed my suitcases. A journey was begun, this time in a new world: the world of Conservation.<\/p>\n

Archaeology was my passion. For this reason, I studied Archaeology and took part in several archaeological excavations. While I was \u2018scratching\u2019 the layers of history, I was usually thinking about the preservation of all these objects that I was ruthlessly uncovering from their archaeological \u2018tomb\u2019. All these thoughts matured into a sincere desire to learn more about the field of Conservation. I attended conservation seminars and workshops until I made decision to study Conservation. I searched for potential places in the UK and discussed my options with people in the field. After careful consideration, I chose my destination, and that destination was Cardiff.<\/p>\n

The post-graduate programme \u2018Conservation Practice\u2019 of Cardiff University was the best solution in my case. It is a conservation programme that provides theoretical and practical knowledge, with academic staff and alumni that have a significant impact in the Cultural Heritage sector. What I was really like about the programme was the opportunity to work with different materials and combine theory and practice. So, after my application was accepted, I packed my suitcases and booked my tickets for Cardiff. And here I am, ten months later, in front of a screen writing about that journey.<\/p>\n

When I stood for the first time in the conservation laboratory, I had a strange feeling. I was over-stressed and thinking about my new beginning. I was surrounded by new people, microscopes, scalpels, solvents and so many other things that looked so strange to me. I realised that something beautiful was emerging from that place: a love for Conservation. The laboratory offered me a heartfelt welcome.<\/p>\n

I was quite scared in the first weeks; the lectures and projects seemed so strange. But thanks to the staff, I managed to get into the world of Conservation and feel more comfortable. The programme was exactly what I expected. On one hand, theoretical lectures enriched my background knowledge and helped me to develop critical thinking, which is so important in Conservation. On the other hand, I had the opportunity to apply all this theory in practice. I worked (and I\u2019m still working!) on objects of different materials, and deal with all the challenges of conserving them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Me, my microscope, and one of my projects<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My first project was Roman and modern coins. I will never forget the moment that I managed to remove an adhesive from the reverse side of a Roman coin and revealed the figure of Emperor Constantine. I was so excited, so proud!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
I was very proud when I revealed the back side of this roman coin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Apart from personal projects, I also engaged in group projects and collaborated with other conservation students. Another thing that I liked a lot was the opportunity to take part in different workshops that provided supplementary knowledge and training in fields relevant to Conservation.<\/p>\n

All these things that I am still learning from the programme contribute to professional skills suitable to face any challenge in my future career. That is why I don\u2019t regret my choice to study here in Cardiff.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Cardiff is a small, beautiful city providing every kind of entertainment; sports and events take place in the city. Parks and attractions are everywhere.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Alexandra Gardens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Cardiff Castle\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Particularly for students, Cardiff is the most affordable city in the UK. Living expenses are quite low in comparison with other cities. Rents, food, and entertainment are relatively cheap, especially for students (I personally spend around 600 pounds per month). For conservation students, there aren\u2019t any additional costs that relate directly to the programme (except of course tuition fees!). The university provides everything that is needed for that, including tools. Cardiff University has also one of the best Student Unions in the country, organising trips and student events.<\/p>\n

For all these reasons I believe that studying Conservation here is a good choice. I am sure that if anyone decides to apply here they will enjoy it a lot! That\u2019s why I am here; that\u2019s why I decided to change my archaeological trowel with a conservation scalpel!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I still remember the moment last September when I shook the dust off my clothes in a trench for last time, somewhere in eastern Mediterranean, and packed my suitcases. A […]","protected":false},"author":1543,"featured_media":950,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[293],"tags":[58,28,13,10,251,247,249,31,250,255,253,44,141,254,248,252],"class_list":["post-895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-students-stories","tag-archaeological-conservation","tag-archaeology","tag-cardiff","tag-conservation","tag-hands-on","tag-lab","tag-lectures","tag-objects","tag-roman-coin","tag-scalpel","tag-student-union","tag-transition","tag-travel","tag-trowel","tag-unknown","tag-workshops"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4fDDX-er","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":794,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/dissertations-abound\/","url_meta":{"origin":895,"position":0},"title":"Dissertations Abound","author":"Stephanie Whitehead","date":"February 22, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Studying the Effect of Varying Silica Gel Amounts on the Relative Humidity Within a Container. Our dissertation is looking at the relative humidity (RH) changes within storage containers that have different amounts of silica gel within them so that we can see if the amount of silica gel affects the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "About CU Conservation"","block_context":{"text":"About CU Conservation","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/category\/about-cu-conservation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2018\/02\/lab-every-day.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2018\/02\/lab-every-day.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2018\/02\/lab-every-day.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2018\/02\/lab-every-day.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2386,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/reconstructing-the-past-the-working-relationship-between-archaeology-and-conservation-at-cardiff-university-in-the-case-of-a-harpstedter-rauftoph-vessel-from-piepenkopf-hillfort\/","url_meta":{"origin":895,"position":1},"title":"Reconstructing the Past: The working relationship between archaeology and conservation at Cardiff University in the case of a Harpstedter Rauftoph vessel from Piepenkopf Hillfort","author":"Tessa Corton","date":"March 14, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Archaeology and conservation are intrinsically linked. Indeed, some may argue that archaeological conservation is just an extension of post-excavation. This would an over simplification \u2013 conservation is much more than cleaning and sticking things together with superglue. Despite conservators often training within the museum environment,\u00a0 the opposite is not true\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Objects and Treatments"","block_context":{"text":"Objects and Treatments","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/category\/objects-and-treatments\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2023\/03\/Map.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2023\/03\/Map.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2023\/03\/Map.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1274,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/pathways-to-conservation\/","url_meta":{"origin":895,"position":2},"title":"Pathways to Conservation","author":"Caitlin Jenkins","date":"October 29, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s a rumour that we all found our calling as conservators from an early age, fuelled by a desire to disobey those DO NOT TOUCH signs in museums. At Cardiff University, our students\u2019 paths into the heritage sector are as unique and diverse as the objects we study. 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Or do you want to get hands on with history after researching and writing for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "About CU Conservation"","block_context":{"text":"About CU Conservation","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/category\/about-cu-conservation\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2023\/11\/Project-report-image.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2023\/11\/Project-report-image.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2023\/11\/Project-report-image.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2023\/11\/Project-report-image.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":41,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/francis-lukezic-our-first-alumni-profile\/","url_meta":{"origin":895,"position":4},"title":"Our First Alumni Profile with Francis Lukezic","author":"Nerys Rudder","date":"January 14, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Hello Conservation Community at Cardiff University. For those of you I have not had the opportunity to meet, my name is Francis Lukezic and I completed the MSc in Conservation Practice in September 2013. I returned to my home in the United States and am happy to say that I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Alumni Spotlight"","block_context":{"text":"Alumni Spotlight","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/category\/alumni-spotlight\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Francis Lukezic mechanically removing surface concretions from an iron stove door with an air scribe at Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2014\/01\/1553003_524405397673461_374839853_n-168x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":508,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/summer-placement-round-up\/","url_meta":{"origin":895,"position":5},"title":"Summer Placement Round-up","author":"Aliza Taft","date":"June 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Conservation students, MSc and BSc, at Cardiff are required to do 8 weeks of\u00a0summer placement between years, supported by a stipend from the University. Luckily, the department has cultivated some amazing connections with museums around the UK,\u00a0 and even some in the US and Greece. Many of these connections come\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Internships and Placements"","block_context":{"text":"Internships and Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/category\/internships-and-placements\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2016\/03\/cardiff-uni2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"meta_box":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/228\/2018\/05\/coat-and-desk.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1543"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=895"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":969,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/895\/revisions\/969"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/conservation\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}