Fibula
This is a small copper alloy artifact, that was found with a metal detector in 2017. The object is now in the archaeological collections at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo. The oblong fitting has remains of a fastening mechanism and is most probably a bird shaped fibula brooch. Items of this sort commonly stems from the Merovinger or Viking Ages in Norway.
I carried out a conservation treatment of this fibula in 2019, during my studies at the University of Oslo. The object was partly covered with dirt from its excavation. The conservation treatment consisted of an investigative cleaning process, to give a characterization of the object’s surface stratigraphy.
The investigative cleaning was performed under stereo microscope with entopins, a small scalpel and brush, and cotton swabs with a 50:50 mixture of ethanol and distilled water. The objects surface stratigraphy was characterized with three main types of corrosion layers: porous, light green and active corrosion, stable corrosion of a darker green color, and stable corrosion of smooth and dark brown surfaces. The latter type is what’s mostly considered to constitute the object’s original surface. In dark green areas the dendrite structure of the metal was visible, indicating these layers are below the original surface.
