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Packaging and storage solutions for archaeological

basketry: a selection of practical designs
a
Gemma Aboe
a
Department of Archaeology and Conservation, SHARE, Cardiff University, Humanities
Building, Colum Road, Cardiff, CF10 3EU, UK
Published online: 04 Oct 2012.

To cite this article: Gemma Aboe (2012): Packaging and storage solutions for archaeological basketry: a selection of
practical designs, Journal of the Institute of Conservation, 35:1, 103-111

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19455224.2012.672698

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 Journal of the Institute of Conservation
Vol. 35, No. 1, March 2012, 103 – 111

SHORTER NOTICE

Gemma Aboe

Packaging and storage solutions for archaeological

basketry: a selection of practical designs

Keywords
basketry; mounting; storage; handling; transport; packaging

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology (PMEA) houses around 60

basketry artefacts. The collection includes an early example found in the
Fayum Neolithic (c. 5000 BC ) and techniques ranging from early coiling to
later sewn plaits and stake-and-strand baskets from the Ptolemaic period
(305 –30 BC ).1 Due to minimal conservation lab space at the PMEA, a part-
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1 W.Z. Wendrich, ‘Basketry’, in Ancient

nership was set up with the organics conservation studio at the British Egyptian Materials and Technology, ed.
P.T. Nicholson and I. Shaw (Cambridge:
Museum (BM) for the treatment of basketry and leather objects from the
Cambridge University Press, 2000),
PMEA collection. This paper describes custom packaging designed for 254 –67.
the transport of ancient Egyptian basketry from the PMEA to the BM,
where it was treated by the author during an 18-month Institute of
Conservation (Icon)/Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) organics conservation
internship shared between the two museums.
As the PMEA basketry may be loaned for exhibition or conservation, or
handled by researchers and conservation students, it had to be mounted
and packaged safely for handling, transport and storage. Organic material
that has creased, folded or collapsed over time will have developed areas of
weakness and will need physical support and protection during storage
and transport. A range of mounting and storage solutions was designed
for the PMEA baskets after treatment and is also described in this article.

Packing and mounting materials

Packing and mounting materials act as the first layer of protection against
dirt, dust and other harmful influences so it is useful to choose materials
that are not electrostatic, to avoid attracting plant fibres from the artefact
or dust particles. Mounting materials should also be as chemically stable
as possible.2 Abrasion can be avoided by the selection of smooth materials 2 Museums Galleries Scotland, ‘The
that will not catch on or scratch objects. With environmental buffering in Effects of Storage and Display Materials
mind, storage boxes made from organic materials are preferable to plastic on Museum Objects’, http://www.
collectionslink.org.uk/discover/site-
boxes. information/737-the-effects-of-storage-
Archival preservation grade materials for transport, handling and and-display-materials-on-museum-
storage mounts used in designs at the PMEA include: Tyvekw polyethylene objects (accessed October 1, 2011).
spun-bonded olefin fibre sheeting (to line supports and wrap artefacts),
acid free tissue paper (for tissue puffs and lining transport boxes), Plasta-
zotew polyethylene foams (for mount bases and supports), acid free
mount board (for storage boxes and trays), and cotton tape (to hold
tissue wrapping and tie labels). Bubble-wrap was also used for padding
during transport as, although it is not an archival material, it was not in
contact with the basketry for prolonged periods.

(Received 7 February 2011; Accepted 11 September 2011)

ISSN 1945-5224 print/ISSN 1945-5232 online

# 2012 Icon, The Institute of Conservation
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19455224.2012.672698
http://www.tandfonline.com
 104
3 D. Watkinson and V. Neal, ‘Packaging
and Control of Microclimate’, First Aid
For Finds, 2nd ed. (London: UKIC
Archaeological Section, 1998), 12–28.
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4 Katy Lithgow, ‘Storage, Appendix II:
Methods of Housekeeping Protection’,
in The National Trust Manual of House-
keeping: The Care of Collections in Historic
Houses Open to the Public (Oxford: But-
terworth-Heinemann, 2006), 848–9.
Fig. 1 Transport box padded with
bubble-wrap and acid free tissue.
Aboe
Packing for transport
At the PMEA a small number of baskets was transported at a time, often
accompanied by a single courier in a taxi, so transport boxes needed
to be small and light. Heavy duty polypropylene storage boxes with a
friction-fitting or snap lock lid were chosen, as they are weather proof
and can buffer the environmental changes caused by transport. Further
control of the microclimate inside the box could be provided by con-
ditioned silica gel, monitored with a humidity indicator card.3 These
boxes also provided a barrier to pests and could withstand the prophylactic
freezing treatment used to control pests on arrival at the BM.
Padding the boxes provided shock absorption to the artefacts inside, as
well as environmental buffering (Fig. 1). As a first measure, two strips of
bubble-wrap were laid inside the box at right angles, with the non-
bubble side (which is stronger) against the box wall. The strips were long
enough that the ends could be brought up the sides of the box and over-
lapped on top. Next, two sheets of acid free tissue paper, cut to the same
size as the strips of bubble-wrap were laid inside the box. The paper and
bubble-wrap were cut as neatly as possible to signal the precious contents
inside the box when it is opened.
The box floor, sides and top were additionally padded with loose acid
free tissue puffs, each made from 1 – 2 sheets of tissue paper and measuring
15 – 20cm in diameter. Tissue paper puffs or ‘snakes’ (rolls) were also laid
between or around objects to prevent the wrapped artefacts from moving
or crushing each other if the box is accidentally jolted during transport.4
Where the basket dimensions allowed, a second floor was added to the box.
These dividing layers were made from corrugated polypropylene board,
padded with bubble-wrap. Plastazote foam legs adhered to the corners with
double-sided tape allowed the second floor to rest on the original box floor.
The second floor could be lifted out using the recesses cut in its sides.
1 Basketry packaging
Vulnerable basketry surfaces can be protected by wrapping a smooth
material, such as Tyvek, around individual artefacts (Fig. 2). This should
ideally be a single piece, so that detached fibres can be easily collected
Fig. 2 Basketry packaged for transport: the basket has been wrapped in Tyvek and then placed
on a tray for stability, and the whole bundle has been wrapped with acid free tissue and tied
with cotton tape.
Journal of the Institute of Conservation Vol. 35 No. 1 March 2012
 Packaging and storage solutions for archaeological basketry: a selection of practical designs 105

upon unwrapping. Where large enough recesses in a basket are present,

the Tyvek sheet can be gently tucked inside, helping to hold the wrapp-
ing together. Ensure that the smooth side of the Tyvek is against the
basketry.
Where acid free card trays are already available, basketry can be wrapped in
Tyvek and placed in a suitably sized tray, before both tray and basket are envel-
oped in acid free tissue paper. The tray helps provide a steady base for the
wrapped bundle, limiting the chances of a bundle rolling off a table when
unpacking the box. This Tyvek and tissue bundle should be gently cross-
tied with cotton tape, to hold all tissue folds in place, ensuring the bow ends
up on the upper side of the bundle, signalling the top side.

Handling and storage mounts

Many of the organic artefacts at the PMEA have never been conserved, as
for many years the museum had no full-time conservator. The museum
building offers very limited storage and display space. Storage mounts
inevitably increase the required storage volume: this posed a challenge,
particularly for newly conserved artefacts that had to return to overfilled
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storage drawers until an opportunity for display became available. Thus,

the footprint of storage or handling mounts designed or adapted during
this project was kept to a minimum.
The irregular shapes of archaeological basketry may mean that an object
rests on only a few points of contact. Insufficiently supported basketry can
be abraded or distorted, or may collapse under its own weight.5 Objects can 5 Toby Raphael, ‘Preventive Conserva-
also slide or knock against each other when drawers are opened or closed. tion Recommendations for Organic
Objects’, Conserve O Gram 1/3, www.
Even the vibrations involved in moving drawers can be transmitted to these
nps.gov/history/museum/publications/
vulnerable objects.6 conserveogram/01-03.pdf (accessed
The mounts described below were designed to reduce structural damage January 15, 2012).
from handling and while the basketry was in storage. Mounts were padded
6 Lesley Guy, ‘Moving the Museum’s
to limit shocks and vibrations, and were designed to restrict movement of Ethnographic Collections: A Conserva-
the object when mounted. Customized supports distributed the weight of tion Approach’, Penn Museum Expedition
the baskets more evenly. Objects were mounted individually to provide Magazine 43, no. 3 (2001): 29–32, http://
better accessibility and aid study. This also reduced the need for direct www.penn.museum/documents/
publications/expedition/PDFs/43-3/
handling of fragile elements.
Moving%20the%20Museum.pdf
Five principal mounting solutions for archaeological basketry have been (accessed January 15, 2012).
useful at the PMEA.

1 Palette
The palette reduces the need for direct handling of the basket, as it allows
virtually full visibility. The lack of side-walls means that taller adjacent
objects can overlap free storage space above. A padded depression
(Fig. 3) supports the base of the basket and limits movement during hand-
ling or when placed in storage drawers. The palette is rectangular or square,
in footprint only slightly larger than the bottom of the basket. Plastazote
struts are adhered to the underside in a square or rectangle set in from
the edge, which raises the palette slightly and allows fingers to reach under-
neath during lifting. A big enough margin should be left around the
depression for safe lifting and carrying.
The palette consists of a Plastazote foam base (2 – 3mm thick) adhered to
an archival board, with a thicker Plastazote layer (10mm thick) on top. The
three layers are sandwiched together with archival double-sided tape. The
artefact’s bottom outline is marked on the thick Plastazote, leaving a
2 – 3mm margin. This shape is then cut out with a scalpel and retained for
use as a template. A further incision, penetrating only half of the depth
of the foam, is made 5mm outside the cut-out. This incision will be used
later for securing a Tyvek lining.

Journal of the Institute of Conservation Vol. 35 No. 1 March 2012

 106 Aboe

Fig. 3 Palette recess lined with Tyvek.

At least two finger-holes are cut into the thick Plastazote layer, usually
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1.5cm wide and 2cm long and at opposite ends, to allow the artefact to
be lifted safely out of the mount. The holes should be cut at points where
it is safe to lift the object.
Using the retained Plastazote template, a piece of Tyvek is cut out,
leaving a margin of about 2cm. It is important to ensure that the smooth
side of the Tyvek faces upwards, as it will come in contact with the basket.
The Tyvek piece is used to line the depression in the palette and the edges
are tucked into the incision around the outside. Where the depression is
curved, short incisions cut in the Tyvek allow it to overlap smoothly and
conform closely.

2 Lifting trays
A lifting tray can support an artefact safely, protect the lower sides and allow
controlled lifting and handling. Low walls keep the artefact visible while in
storage and also allow taller, protruding objects to overhang, saving space
(Fig. 4). The lifting tray is constructed from archival mounting board and
adhered with EVA hot-melt glue (ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer).
A palette containing a shallow basket can be slotted into a lifting tray.
Taller baskets may require higher walls and additional support elements
in the lifting tray—for example, Plastazote struts running between the

Fig. 4 Lifting tray for basketry with Tyvek-covered Plastazote supports.

Journal of the Institute of Conservation Vol. 35 No. 1 March 2012

 Packaging and storage solutions for archaeological basketry: a selection of practical designs 107

corners of the box and the basket.7 One end of the strut can be shaped to fit 7 Clarke Historical Museum, ‘Basket
snugly against the basket, immobilizing it gently. This end of the strut Maintenance Workshop’, http://www.
should be covered with Tyvek, either adhered with EVA or tucked into clarkemuseum.org/basket.html (acc-
essed October, 1 2011).
an incision in the Plastazote (as described in the palettes section above),
to prevent abrasion.
Supports can also be made from ‘walls’ of corrugated mounting board,
which can be attached to the tray walls or sunk into the foam base to
provide stronger support. A strip is marked out 2cm beyond the lower
edge of the support and lightly scored on each side of the board. Cuts are
made at intervals from the edge of the support up to this line, to form
’tabs’. The tabs are folded alternately backwards and forwards and used
to glue the support to the inside of the tray. Folding the board perpendicu-
lar to the corrugations adds more rigidity to the support. The upper edge of
the support can be cut to fit the profile of the basket. This end is padded
with a thin strip of Plastazote covered with Tyvek.
For artefacts with multiple parts (e.g. a basket and lid), the tray can be
compartmentalized with a dividing wall made from mounting board,
which reaches above the artefacts and incorporates a grip handle
(Fig. 5a).8 The double-sided lifting tray is built from one piece of mounting
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8 Museum of Fine Arts Boston, ‘Conser-

board (Fig. 5b), resulting in a sturdy separating wall and handle that, when vation and Collections Care: Shoes and
held firmly, ensures the tray cannot tip to one side when lifted. Footware Photos’, http://www.mfa.
org/collections/conservation-and-collec
tions-care/costume-accessories/shoes-a
3 Double base boxes nd-footwear-photos (accessed October 1,
Especially fragile baskets are best stored in a padded box, to ensure that all 2011).
sides are protected and supported. An optional Perspexw (polymethyl metha-
crylate) or MelinexTM (polyester film) window can be attached with double-
sided tape to the inside of a box wall and makes the box contents visible.
The basket rests on a removable tray made of board cushioned with
Plastazote, with Plastazote battens adhered underneath and finger-holes
cut in the sides to allow safe removal. The front of the box is a drop-
down flap, to allow easy access to the contents. This may be held in place
only by the lid; once lifted, the front wall is free to drop open (Fig. 6).
Alternatively, if the box has no lid, the front wall can be retained behind
two ‘doors’ held together with a latch (made from board and a butterfly
clip pivot) (Fig. 7a). When the latch is lifted, the doors are free to open
outwards, allowing the front of the box to drop down (Fig. 7b).
Customized Tyvek-covered supports can be integrated into the remova-
ble tray or left loose. Other lightweight supports include sand- or poly-
styrene bead-filled Tyvek cushions or snakes.
For some baskets, the outer surface is more vulnerable than the inside
and cannot be supported directly. In these cases, a board and/or Plastazote

Fig. 5 (a) Double-sided lifting tray for basketry; (b) the tray can be made from a single piece of
mounting board.

Journal of the Institute of Conservation Vol. 35 No. 1 March 2012

 108 Aboe

Fig. 6 Double base box for basketry. The front wall of the box is loose and falls open when the
lid is removed.
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frame can be built to sit around the box top, with a middle section reaching
into the basket and holding it safely in place from the inside.
4 Box of drawers
A box of drawers is a space-saving mount that allows shallow objects to be
stacked and separated to improve access and visibility (Fig. 8). This works
well for a basket that has lost its integrity and now consists of several parts,
or for a group of related shallow objects.
The box casing is built from mounting board affixed with hot-melt EVA
adhesive. A Perspex or Melinex window in the top of the casing allows easy
visual identification of the contents. Strips of board 5– 10mm wide and
laminated to a thickness of at least 5mm are adhered with EVA to the
inside walls of the casing to form ‘runners’, providing support for the
drawers and allowing them to slide in and out.
The drawers are constructed like the lifting trays, and include finger-
holes on the front and back for easy removal. Drawers are individually
padded with Plastazote and Tyvek, as the contents require.

5 Layered box
An alternative to the box of drawers is a ’box within a box’, which gives
the contents firmer support (Fig. 9). The shallow inner box rests on wall
supports just above the contents of the deep outer box, thus maximizing
available height. Plastazote inlays can be custom-cut to support several
rows of smaller objects or elements. Disarticulated basketry fragments,

Fig. 7 (a) Double base box for basketry with latch fastener, which can be lifted (b) to allow the
front wall of the box to open.

Journal of the Institute of Conservation Vol. 35 No. 1 March 2012

 Packaging and storage solutions for archaeological basketry: a selection of practical designs 109

Fig. 9 Layered box, here containing

shabti figures.

Fig. 8 The box of drawers allows shallow objects to be stacked.

fibres and associated archival material can be housed in polyethylene finds

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bags and placed in the bottom of the outer box to ensure they are not lost or
crushed, while retaining the more complete and recognizable items in the
upper box.

Labelling
All packaging and artefact mounts should be labelled clearly to facilitate
object identification and avoid unnecessary handling. Clear labelling also
ensures that objects are returned to the correct mounts after handling or
research sessions.
Labels or barcodes placed in small Melinex sleeves adhered to the
outside of storage boxes are easy to read and can be removed or replaced
when necessary. Additional labels can be attached to the mount giving
special handling instructions or warning of particularly vulnerable areas.
For palette mounts, an incision can be made in the thick Plastazote sur-
round, allowing an upright archival paper label to be inserted (Fig. 3). It
is wise to use a second label on the upper surface of the palette as well,
as this will be visible from above. Individual mount elements (such as
drawers and trays) should be labelled separately with their contents and
their location within a box or casing, in case they become accidentally
separated from their housing.
Transport boxes should be labelled discreetly to avoid drawing attention.
A label should be attached to the outside of the transport box, stating the
name of the originating museum and the number of the box (for
example, ‘1 of 2’). A polythene A4 sleeve, usually taped to the box lid,
can contain an illustrated contents inventory list and condition survey
notes.
When packaging objects for transport, small card labels can be threaded
through the cotton tape around each object parcel to show the object regis-
tration number, name and a small image (Fig. 2). The contents of each parcel
are thus quickly identifiable, negating the need for unwrapping. The gift-
like nature of these packages reflects the precious contents and so promotes
conscientious handling.

Conclusion
Most basketry artefacts are unique in size, shape and material and may,
therefore, require customized packing for storage, handling or transpor-
tation.

Journal of the Institute of Conservation Vol. 35 No. 1 March 2012

 110 Aboe

This article presents several design solutions, demonstrating how stable

baskets can be safely housed and handled on an open palette or tray, while
more fragile and less intact baskets rely on additional support and benefit
from protective enclosures, such as boxes and drawers.
The article also draws attention to the selection of packaging material.
The softer and smoother the protective material, the more beneficial it
will be to the basketry as vulnerable fibres are easily caught or broken by
material with sharp edges, rough surfaces or creases.
Techniques and methods described in this paper proved very successful
during the PMEA/BM project. Although the focus of that project was on
packing and storing fragile ancient basketry of varying conditions, these
techniques can also be applied successfully to more modern baskets and
extended to house other materials and objects.
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Acknowledgements
I am extremely grateful to my Icon internship supervisors, Sherry
Doyal and Barbara Wills at the British Museum and Susi Pancaldo
at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL, and to my
regional Icon co-ordinator Fiona Macalister, for their guidance
during the internship and encouragement in writing this article.
Many thanks also to the Editor and reviewers of the journal for
their time and suggestions that have been implemented in the final
article. I would further like to acknowledge the Heritage Lottery
Fund and the Petrie Museum Friends for funding the internship.
Abstract
This article draws on practical experiences of packaging ancient
Egyptian basketry for transport, mounting and handling. It
describes some of the successful techniques used in customized
packaging design for the transportation of objects from the Petrie
Museum of Egyptian Archaeology to the British Museum. Final
mounting and storage solutions of these objects after treatment are
also described in detail.
Résumé
«Les solutions d’emballage et de stockage pour la vannerie archéo-
logique : une sélection de schémas pratiques»
Cet article s’appuie sur les expériences pratiques de conditionne-
ment de la vannerie de l’ancienne Egypte pour le transport, le
montage et la manipulation. Il décrit quelques-unes des techniques
utilisées avec succès dans la conception d’emballages sur mesure
pour le transport d’objets du Musée d’archéologie égyptienne de
Petrie jusqu’au British Museum. Le montage final et les solutions
de stockage de ces objets après traitement sont également décrits
en détail.
Zusammenfassung
,,Verpackungs- und Aufbewahrungslösungen für archäologische
Körbe: eine Auswahl von praktischen Entwürfen”
Dieser Artikel bezieht sich auf Praxiserfahrungen beim Erstellen
von Transportverpackungen, Montierungen und Handling ägyp-
tischer archäologischer Körbe. Es werden einige der erfolgreichen
Techniken von angepasstem Verpackungsdesign beschrieben, die
beim Transport von Objekten aus dem Petrie Museum of Egyptian
Archaeology ins British Museum angewandt worden waren. Dazu
werden auch Montierungen und Lösungen zur Aufbewahrung
der Objekte nach der Behandlung im Detail beschrieben.
Resumen
“Soluciones de embalaje y almacenamiento para la cesterı́a arqueo-
lógica: una selección de diseños prácticos”
Este documento está basado en las experiencias prácticas del emba-
lado, montaje y transporte de una cesterı́a del Antiguo Egipto. Se
describen algunas de las técnicas más exitosas utilizadas en embala-
dos a medida y diseñados para transportar objetos desde el Museo
Petrie de Arqueologı́a Egipcia al Museo Británico. También se
describen con detalle, soluciones finales de montaje y almacena-
miento después del tratamiento.
Biography
Gemma Aboe has a BA (Hons) in Illustration and an MA in Sequen-
tial Design/Illustration. She recently completed an 18-month Icon/
HLF internship carried out at the British Museum and the Petrie
Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL. The internship mainly
focused on the conservation of organic artefacts, including basketry,
leather and human remains. She is currently studying for an MSc in
Conservation Practice at Cardiff University.

Journal of the Institute of Conservation Vol. 35 No. 1 March 2012

 Packaging and storage solutions for archaeological basketry: a selection of practical designs 111

Materials and suppliers

Acid free mounting board, acid free tissue Melinex polyester film: Polypropylene corrugated board/Correx:
paper, archival corrugated flute board, Conservation By Design theplasticshop.co.uk
cotton tape, humidity indicator cards, Plas- Timecare Works 16 Bayton Road
tazotew, silica gel and Tyvekw: 5 Singer Way Bayton Road Industrial Estate
Preservation Equipment Ltd Kempston Coventry CV7 9EJ
Vinces Road Bedford MK42 7AW UK
Diss UK
Norfolk IP22 4HQ
UK

Bubble wrap: Perspex: Scotchw conservation and preservation

Argos Direct Plastic Online double-sided tape:
Acton Gate Unit 2 Pioneer Park 3M United Kingdom plc
Stafford ST18 9AR Clough Road 3M Centre
UK Kingston Upon Hull Cain Road
East Yorkshire HU6 7HW Bracknell
UK Berkshire RG12 8HT
UK
Finds bags (grip seal): Polypropylene box:
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Archtools B&Q Customer Services

The Leading Archaeology Tool Shop Catesby Business Park
10 Thornton Road White Rose Way
Bridlington YO16 4QY Doncaster
UK South Yorkshire DN4 8DG
UK

Contact address
Gemma Aboe
Department of Archaeology and Conservation
SHARE
Cardiff University
Humanities Building
Colum Road
Cardiff CF10 3EU
UK
Email: gem.aboe@gmail.com

Journal of the Institute of Conservation Vol. 35 No. 1 March 2012

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