DOI issue:
Sudan
DOI article:Moryto-Naumiuk, Dorota; Piekacz, Lucyna: Appendix 2: conservation Works in 2007
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42093#0346
BANGANARTI
SUDAN
to a frame. A linen textile was then glued on
top. After drying, the edges of the textiles
were fixed to a wooden frame and held in
place by wedges. Steel lines attached to the
roof structure safeguarded the murals
during the entire process of taking down
from the wall, which was executed in the
opposite direction, that is, the bricks were
dismantled from the back and the plaster
cut away from the painting.
This done, the mural was transported to
the field lab where it was placed face down
on a flat surface. The wooden frame was
removed. The back was cut down to a more
or less even thickness and impregnated to
consolidate it in preparation for the coming
treatment. The impregnation was done
with injections of glue (one part PRIMAL
AC33, one part local polyvinyl acetate,
approximately eight parts water). The glue
was also brushed on repeatedly. Once the
water had evaporated, the back of the
painting was leveled with lime putties
containing more PRIMAL E330 and
polyvinyl acetate. Repeated impregnation of
the plaster followed.
A glass fiber net was then fixed to the
back of the painting using polyvinyl acetate
with sand. Next came white polyurethane
foam (1 cm thick) for thermal insulation
and another coat of glass fiber net.
A wooden skeletal frame in the form of
a box was prepared and fixed with polyvinyl
alcohol glue and a two-component, low-
volume epoxy installation foam. This type
of construction is easy to remove in case of
emergency and creates the proper
conditions for transporting a transferred
mural.
CURRENT CONSERVATION
The outside wall plastering of the Upper
Church, which is made of lime and very
coarse sand, has good cohesion, but failing
adhesion to the wall. The first step was
mechanical cleaning of the surface with
brushes to remove sand and coats of clay.
Water was subsequently applied for
cleaning, following tests. With regard to the
scratched graffito of “Blind Ali”, a coat of
dirt was left in place as it makes the drawing
easier to recognize. Surfaces were fixed with
Klucel G dissolved in alcohol (1 spoon
glue to 1 liter alcohol). In the next step,
injections were made to fix the crushed
plaster to walls. For smaller areas, a mixture
of PRIMAL AC 33 and locally produced
polyvinyl acetate (1:1) and one part glue to
six-seven parts water was used, having first
weakened surface tension with water mixed
with alcohol (1:1). Lime casein made from
lime and powdered milk was tested and
found to be a very satisfactory solution for
the gaps and bigger areas of crushed plaster
to fill the voids. For the very big gaps on the
pillars, lime casein was additionally mixed
with sand. Finally, the borders of the
original plaster were protected with bands
made of lime putty (one part lime, three
parts sand, two parts local clay with
addition of Primal E330.)
The coat of paint in the murals in
Chapels 3 and 4 of the Upper Church was
found to be powdering intensively. The
surface was cleaned of dust and the paint
consolidated using as an impregnate
KLUCEL G dissolved in alcohol (one spoon
powder glue to one liter alcohol). Injections
of Primal AC33 in water solution (one
part glue with approximately eight parts
water) were made to fix the coats of
limewash to the plaster.
In the case of the newly discovered
murals in test trench 4a, both cohesion and
adhesion were very poor. They were first
allowed to dry very slowly to stop new salts
crystallization between layers of painting.
The surface of the paintings was then
cleaned gently with soft brushes. The coat
of paint was fixed with KLUCEL G (same as
340
Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007
SUDAN
to a frame. A linen textile was then glued on
top. After drying, the edges of the textiles
were fixed to a wooden frame and held in
place by wedges. Steel lines attached to the
roof structure safeguarded the murals
during the entire process of taking down
from the wall, which was executed in the
opposite direction, that is, the bricks were
dismantled from the back and the plaster
cut away from the painting.
This done, the mural was transported to
the field lab where it was placed face down
on a flat surface. The wooden frame was
removed. The back was cut down to a more
or less even thickness and impregnated to
consolidate it in preparation for the coming
treatment. The impregnation was done
with injections of glue (one part PRIMAL
AC33, one part local polyvinyl acetate,
approximately eight parts water). The glue
was also brushed on repeatedly. Once the
water had evaporated, the back of the
painting was leveled with lime putties
containing more PRIMAL E330 and
polyvinyl acetate. Repeated impregnation of
the plaster followed.
A glass fiber net was then fixed to the
back of the painting using polyvinyl acetate
with sand. Next came white polyurethane
foam (1 cm thick) for thermal insulation
and another coat of glass fiber net.
A wooden skeletal frame in the form of
a box was prepared and fixed with polyvinyl
alcohol glue and a two-component, low-
volume epoxy installation foam. This type
of construction is easy to remove in case of
emergency and creates the proper
conditions for transporting a transferred
mural.
CURRENT CONSERVATION
The outside wall plastering of the Upper
Church, which is made of lime and very
coarse sand, has good cohesion, but failing
adhesion to the wall. The first step was
mechanical cleaning of the surface with
brushes to remove sand and coats of clay.
Water was subsequently applied for
cleaning, following tests. With regard to the
scratched graffito of “Blind Ali”, a coat of
dirt was left in place as it makes the drawing
easier to recognize. Surfaces were fixed with
Klucel G dissolved in alcohol (1 spoon
glue to 1 liter alcohol). In the next step,
injections were made to fix the crushed
plaster to walls. For smaller areas, a mixture
of PRIMAL AC 33 and locally produced
polyvinyl acetate (1:1) and one part glue to
six-seven parts water was used, having first
weakened surface tension with water mixed
with alcohol (1:1). Lime casein made from
lime and powdered milk was tested and
found to be a very satisfactory solution for
the gaps and bigger areas of crushed plaster
to fill the voids. For the very big gaps on the
pillars, lime casein was additionally mixed
with sand. Finally, the borders of the
original plaster were protected with bands
made of lime putty (one part lime, three
parts sand, two parts local clay with
addition of Primal E330.)
The coat of paint in the murals in
Chapels 3 and 4 of the Upper Church was
found to be powdering intensively. The
surface was cleaned of dust and the paint
consolidated using as an impregnate
KLUCEL G dissolved in alcohol (one spoon
powder glue to one liter alcohol). Injections
of Primal AC33 in water solution (one
part glue with approximately eight parts
water) were made to fix the coats of
limewash to the plaster.
In the case of the newly discovered
murals in test trench 4a, both cohesion and
adhesion were very poor. They were first
allowed to dry very slowly to stop new salts
crystallization between layers of painting.
The surface of the paintings was then
cleaned gently with soft brushes. The coat
of paint was fixed with KLUCEL G (same as
340
Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007