ECHiMaP – Experimental Conservation of a Historically Mounted Papyrus

ECHiMaP focuses on one of the most complex conservation challenges in the Museo Egizio’s papyrus collection: a large papyrus that was historically mounted under glass in the 19th or early 20th century. Over time, this “historic” mounting – once considered protective – has begun to endanger the object itself, causing mechanical stress, dirt accumulation and local degradation of the papyrus and pigments.

The project uses this case as a model laboratory to develop and test innovative conservation strategies for similarly mounted papyri, combining:

• Careful technical analysis of the original mounting (glass, adhesives, backing materials) and of the papyrus fibres, inks and colours;
• Non‑invasive imaging methods (including high‑resolution, raking and multispectral photography) to document damage, detect hidden joins and guide treatment decisions;
• Experimental conservation procedures, in which different options for opening the mount, reducing old adhesives and stabilising the sheet are compared and evaluated.

ECHiMaP is designed as a cross‑disciplinary collaboration between conservators, papyrologists and natural scientists. While conservators test and refine treatment protocols, papyrologists reassess the text, joins and layout of the papyrus, and scientists characterise fibres, inks and pigments at a microscopic and chemical level. The results will feed into best‑practice guidelines for:

• when and how to intervene on historically mounted papyri;
• how to balance respect for historic mounts with the long‑term stability of the object;
• how to document and share conservation data within the broader ME‑Scripta infrastructure.

By transforming a single, historically mounted papyrus into a pilot project for experimental conservation, ECHiMaP will provide a reference model for museums and collections worldwide that face similar challenges, and will play a key role in ensuring the safe preservation and future study of large, fragile papyri.