Abstract

Artifact conservation has been an essential component of the archaeological work undertaken by the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Center in the Beaufort Sea Region. Since 1983, conservators and archaeologists have worked together in the field and in the laboratory to develop procedures which minimize physical alteration of artifacts following their excavation from frozen sites. Our experience demonstrates the need for archaeologists to learn about artifact conservation as part of their academic training, and for conservators to gain first-hand experience with archaeological sites.