Monuments & Archaeological sites

Resources Monuments & Archaeological sites

The aim of this resource list is to provide heritage staff who have to work in dangerous situations, with electronic information that might assist them in safeguarding their vulnerable heritage.  The resources are presented in English but often other languages can be chosen on the website. Please inform us if any hyperlinks are broken, you would her us and others a lot.

Note that the Resources will be updated from time to time. To follow the changes we suggest you subscribe to RSS Feed.

• A Laboratory Manual for Architectural Conservators by Jeanne Marie Teutonico. ICCROM, Rome 1988.
• Archaeology Program. This distant learning program from the National Park Service leads you through the Quick Menu to:
  • Archaeology in the Park
  • Archaeology nationwide
  • Professional Tools (index,technical assistance, databases, standards and guidelines, training and education, reports, publications)
  • For the public
  • Kennewick Man
  • Antiquities Act (USA)
  • What’s new
• ARC Laboratory Handbook: porosity, salts, binders, colour by Ernesto Borrell; Andrea Urland. ICCROM, Rome 1999.
  • Vol 1 : Introduction
  • Vol 2 : Porosity
  • Vol 3 : Salts
  • Vol 4 : Binders
  • Vol 5 : Colour
• Building Conservation.This website sponsored by Cathedral Communications Limited provides many articles on building conservation, restoration and repairs. They are reproduced from past editions of  The Building Conservation Directory and Historic Churches.
• CAMEO: Conservation & Art Materials Encyclopedia Online. CAMEO is a searchable information resource developed by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It has recently undergone a major transformation to a wiki based platform. As is inherent in wikis, some databases and pages contained within CAMEO are ‘works in progress’. Pages, data, and information will be added and updated on a continuing basis. The MATERIALS database contains chemical, physical, visual, and analytical information on over 10,000 historic and contemporary materials used in the production and conservation of artistic, architectural, archaeological, and anthropological materials.
• Caring for Historic Graveyard and Cemetery Monuments by David Odgers. English Heritage 2011.
• CEN – European Committee for Standarization. The Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage provides standards for characterisation of materials, the processes, practice, methodologies and documentation of conservation of tangible cultural heritage to support its preservation, protection and maintenance and to enhance its significance. It includes characterisation of deterioration processes and environmental conditions for cultural heritage and the products and technologies used for the planning and implementation of their conservation, restoration, repair and maintenance.
• Community Participation in Heritage Conservation by Sakkarin Sapu. A Technical Note published by the Getty Conservation Institute. For more see their website…
• Community in the Planning Process by Sakkarin Sapu. A session outline for teaching purposes published by the Getty Conservation Institute.
• Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites Bibliography. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles 2003.
• Conserving Concrete Heritage. An Annotated Bibliography by Alice Custance-Baker, Gina Crevello, Susan Macdonald, and Kyle Normandin. Getty Conservation Institute 2015
• Conservation of historic timber structures. An ecological approach. This e-publication from 2016, originally from 2000, is written by Knut Einar Larsen and Nils Marstein and published by ICOMOS International Wood Committee is all about to the conservation and the repair of historic timber structures, often in situ.
• Conservation of Wall Paintings edited by Sharon Cather. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles 1987.
• Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance. English Heritage 2008.
• Conserving Twentieth-Century Built Heritage: A Bibliography by Susan Macdonald and Gail Ostergren. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles 2011.
• Cultural Heritage Ethics: Between Theory and Practice. This book by Constantine Sandis (ed.), 2014 provides cutting-edge arguments built on case studies of cultural heritage and its management in a range of geographical and cultural contexts. Moreover, the volume feels the pulse of the debate on heritage ethics by discussing timely issues such as access, acquisition, archaeological practice, curatorship, education, ethnology, historiography, integrity, legislation, memory, museum management, ownership, preservation, protection, public trust, restitution, human rights, stewardship, and tourism.
• Documenting the Cultural Heritage edited by Robin Thornes and John Bold. Getty Information Institute, 1998. (Core Data Index to Historic Buildings and Monuments of the Architectural Heritage, the International Core Data Standard for Archaeological Sites and Monuments, and Object ID)
• Earthen Architecture Conservation. Teaching and Learning Resources from the The Getty Conservation Institute (webpage).
• Earthen Architecture Initiative Teaching Note  A Teaching Note published by the Getty Conservation Institute. For more see their website…
• ECOVAST Landscape Identification Guide to Good Practice. Ecovast 2006.
• European Illustrated Glossary for Conservation Terms of Wall Painting and Architectural Surface. This pilot version of the so called EwaGlos (about 200 terms) was designed by more than 50 academics from eleven countries and is based on their practical experiences and hundreds of specialist publications.
• EWAGLOS – Illustrated Glossary of Conservation Terms for Wall Paintings and Architectural Surfaces. The illustrated glossary stresses the importance of a common language in the conservation field. The core of the glossary comprises approximately 200 definitions of terms and it has been developed in eleven languages.
• Full-Text Articles in Historic Preservation and Conservation This Open Access website is set up by Historic Preservation and Conservation Commons™ and lists many full text articles on amongst others Architecture. This digital common network provides articles on many subjects. The search can be specified for:
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architectural Technology
  • Construction Engineering
  • Cultural Resource Management and Policy Analysis
  • Environmental Design
  • Historic Preservation and Conservation
  • Interior Architecture
  • Landscape Architecture
  • Other Architecture
  • Urban, Community and Regional Planning
• Glossary Weathering Deterioration Definitions AR-EN. This was developed for the Petra Archaeological Park.
• Guidelines for Building Archeological Research. These Guidelines for Building Archaeological Research are intended for owners, users and managers of buildings, complexes and areas. In addition, they offer a handle for authorities, architects and advisors, for project managers and for buildings archaeologists themselves.
• ICOMOS Documentation Centre. This excellent website presents many PDF files on:
  • Archaeological heritage
  • Climate change
  • Cultural routes / Itinéraires culturels
  • Cultural tourism / Tourisme culturel
  • Conservation economics / Economie de la conservation
  • Earthen architecture / Architecture en terre
  • Historic gardens and landscapes / Jardins et paysages historiques
  • Historic towns-Urban Heritage/ Villes historiques Patrimoine urbain
  • Industrial heritage / Patrimoine industriel
  • Modern heritage / Patrimoine moderne
  • Photogrammetry / Photogrammétrie
  • Rock art / Art rupestre
  • Stained glass / Vitrail
  • Stone / Pierre
  • Vernacular architecture / Architecture vernaculaire
  • Wooden architecture / Architecture en bois
• ICOMOS Documentation Centre Blog. This Blog-spot provides for Online documents, publications, journals, newsletters… on cultural heritage. It is a great website from which you can download many documents.
• Illustrated Glossary: Mosaics In Situ. Getty Conservation Institute and Israeli Antiquities Authority. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, 2003.
• Illustrated glossary on stone deterioration patterns.  This bi-lingual (FR/EN) glossary constitutes an important tool for scientific discussions on decay phenomena and processes. This 86 pages glossary was published in 2008 by ICOMOS-ISCS  (Monuments and sites XV).
• International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Tutorials. This international NGO is devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of photogrammetry and remote sensing and their applications. The provide tutorials on Varia, Remote Sensing , Photogrammetry, GIS, and Computer Vision. Also look under the heading of Education.
• Introductions to Heritage Assets. A suite of 40 ‘Introductions to Heritage Assets’ by English Heritage is a range of guidance documents for archaeological assets of all kinds of nature.
• Lectures on Materials Science for Architectural Conservation by Giorgio Torraca. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles 2009.
• Lime Mortars and Plasters Bibliography. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles 2003. Read (by general category) at… or Read (by author) at…
• Managing archaeological collections. This distance learning effort by the National park Service (2000) covers all aspects of caring for archaeological collections.
• Managing Change: Sustainable Approaches to the Conservation of the Built Environment. Proceedings of the 4th Annual US/ICOMOS International Symposium Organized by US/ICOMOS, the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Getty Conservation Institute. Philadelphia 2001
• Management Planning for Archaeological Sites. Papers from an International Workshop Organized by the Getty Conservation Institute and Loyola Marymount University 19-22 May 2000.
• The Manar al-Athar open-access photo-archive at the University of Oxford) provides more than 17,000 high resolution, searchable images, freely-downloadable for teaching, research, heritage projects, and publication. It covers buildings and art in the areas of the former Roman empire which later came under Islamic rule (e.g. Syro-Palestine/the Levant, Arabia, Egypt, and North Africa), from ca. 300 BC to the present, but especially Roman, late antique, and early Islamic art, architecture, and sacred sites.  Material is labelled in both English and Arabic. They could be of particularly use in damage assessment comparisons and reconstruction.
• Metal detecting world. Though perhaps not the best source the site does provide practical ‘tutorials’ on Rust Removal with Electrolysis.
• Monitoring Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty – This paper describes a low-cost method of aerial balloon photography that has been successfully used to document and monitor Spiral Jetty’s condition.
• Mosaics in Situ: An Overview of Literature on Conservation of Mosaics in Situ edited by Thomas Roby and Martha Demas. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles 2012.
• Preservation Briefs. These publications by the National Park Service provide guidance on preserving, rehabilitating, and restoring historic buildings and list:
  • Cleaning and Water-Repellent Treatments for Historic Masonry Buildings
  • Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings
  • Improving Energy Efficiency in Historic Buildings
  • Roofing for Historic Buildings
  • The Preservation of Historic Adobe Buildings
  • Dangers of Abrasive Cleaning to Historic Buildings
  • The Preservation of Historic Glazed Architectural Terra-Cotta
  • Aluminum and Vinyl Siding on Historic Buildings: The Appropriateness of Substitute Materials for Resurfacing Historic Wood Frame Buildings
  • The Repair of Historic Wooden Windows
  • Exterior Paint Problems on Historic Woodwork
  • Rehabilitating Historic Storefronts
  • The Preservation of Historic Pigmented Structural Glass (Vitrolite and Carrara Glass)
  • The Repair and Thermal Upgrading of Historic Steel Windows
  • New Exterior Additions to Historic Buildings: Preservation Concerns
  • Preservation of Historic Concrete
  • The Use of Substitute Materials on Historic Building Exteriors
  • Architectural Character—Identifying the Visual Aspects of Historic Buildings as an Aid to Preserving their Character
  • Rehabilitating Interiors in Historic Buildings—Identifying Character-Defining Elements
  • The Repair and Replacement of Historic Wooden Shingle Roofs
  • The Preservation of Historic Barns
  • Repairing Historic Flat Plaster—Walls and Ceilings
  • The Preservation and Repair of Historic Stucco
  • Preserving Historic Ornamental Plaster
  • Heating, Ventilating, and Cooling Historic Buildings: Problems and Recommended Approache
  • The Preservation of Historic Signs
  • The Preservation and Repair of Historic Log Buildings
  • The Maintenance and Repair of Architectural Cast Iron
  • Painting Historic Interiors
  • The Repair, Replacement, and Maintenance of Historic Slate Roofs
  • The Preservation and Repair of Historic Clay Tile Roofs
  • Mothballing Historic Buildings
  • Making Historic Properties Accessible
  • The Preservation and Repair of Historic Stained and Leaded Glass
  • Applied Decoration for Historic Interiors: Preserving Historic Composition Ornament
  • Understanding Old Buildings: The Process of Architectural Investigation
  • Protecting Cultural Landscapes: Planning, Treatment and Management of Historic Landscapes
  • Appropriate Methods of Reducing Lead-Paint Hazards in Historic Housing
  • Removing Graffiti from Historic Masonry
  • Holding the Line: Controlling Unwanted Moisture in Historic Buildings
  • Preserving Historic Ceramic Tile Floors
  • The Seismic Retrofit of Historic Buildings: Keeping Preservation in the Forefront
  • The Maintenance, Repair and Replacement of Historic Cast Stone
  • The Preparation and Use of Historic Structure Reports
  • The Use of Awnings on Historic Buildings: Repair, Replacement and New Design
  • Preserving Historic Wooden Porches
  • The Preservation and Reuse of Historic Gas Stations
  • Maintaining the Exterior of Small and Medium Size Historic Buildings
• Recording, Documentation, and Information Management for the Conservation of Heritage Places: Guiding Principles by Robin Letellier, with contributions from Werner Schmid and François LeBlanc. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles 2007.
• Stone Conservation: An Overview of Current Research, Second Edition by Eric Doehne and Clifford A. Price. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles 2010.
• Technician Training for the Maintenance of In Situ Mosaics. The Getty Conservation Institute and Institut National du Patrimoine, Tunisia 2011. Read at (in English)… or Read at (in Arabic)…
• Terra Bibliography. The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles 2002. Read at (by General Category)… or Read at (by Author)…
• The Conservation of Decorated Surfaces on Earthen Architecture. Proceedings from the International Colloquium Organized by the Getty Conservation Institute and the National Park Service Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, USA September 22-25, 2004.
• The Institute of Conservation (ICON). On their webpage ‘How to care for…’  this conservation institute lists a few short leaflets: Archaeological materials, Architectural ironwork…