2008 CONSERVATION & MAGAZZINO Gretchen Meyers, Franklin & Marshall College: Director of Materials Ann Steiner, Franklin & Marshall College: Director of Research Jenifer Neils, Case Western Reserve University: Research Project Supervisor Chris White, University of Arizona: Head Conservator Batyah Shtrum, Metropolitan Museum of Art: Head Conservator Anne Hooton, American School of Classical Studies, Athens: Illustrator Courtney Brasher, Bryn Mawr College: Laboratory Supervisor Stephanie Brown, B.A., Southern Methodist University: Photographer Jack Carlson, Georgetown University: Laboratory Assistant Supervisor Jennifer Dennis. Buffalo State College: Conservation Intern Ariel O'Conner, Buffalo State College: Conservation Intern Fiammetta Calosi, Universita degli Studi di Firenze, Assistant Illustrator  Opening Report  Final Report   Director of Research, Gretchen Meyers   Magazzino and Conservation -- Opening Report by Gretchen Meyers and Chris White The 2008 season is in full swing in the conservation lab. As always a number of projects related to conservation, cataloguing and artifact documentation are underway, in addition to our work with excavated material from this season's trenches. The conservation lab is under the direction of Chris White and Batyah Shtrum and includes Ariel O'Connor and Jennifer Dennis, graduate students in conservation from Buffalo State College. The season's activities are supported by a grant from the Kress foundation. 2008 Conservation Team: Ariel O'Conner, Jennifer Dennis, and Chris White The remainder of last year's backlog is finished just in time to begin work on the 2008 materials. Projects this year include strong efforts to treat large quantities of ceramics from several trenches. In addition, several bronze and iron pieces have provided challenging and enjoyable work. Illustrator Anne Hooton drawing in the lab Anne Hooton has returned for a fourth season as the site's illustrator. She continues to work with us documenting material for publication, including bucchero and black glaze pottery, ceramics from the Podere Funghi and some weaving tools. In addition, we are happy to have Stephanie Brown as our site's photographer. She has undertaken the important task of updating our object photo archive, which includes adding and revising images of catalogued objects from previous years and adding digital images of newly catalogued objects from the 2008 season. Photographer Stephanie Brown   Laboratory Supervisor Courtney Brasher Finally, much of our time is devoted to work on our site's catalog and storage facilities. Courtney Brasher is working to catalog and process all finds from the 2008 season. Meanwhile, Gretchen Meyers, Ann Steiner and Jack Carlson are working on specific updates and revisions to the catalog of objects from previous seasons-particularly areas of recent study such as bucchero, black glaze and weaving tools-as well as preparing objects for consignment to the new museum in Dicomano and an exhibition in Dallas, Texas this upcoming year. Director of Research, Ann Steiner with student Anna Weerasinghe   Jack Carlson and Jenifer Neils studying bucchero   Head Conservator Chris White   Conservation Interns Jennifer Dennis (left) and Ariel O'Conner (right)   Students working in the lab   Fiammetta Calosi translating catalog entries   Anne Hooton teaching students to illustrate finds   Chris White devoted his last week of work to the excavation and consolidation of a delicate bronze fragment in a lump of soil   Magazzino and Conservation -- Final Report Director of Materials: Gretchen Meyers, Franklin and Marshall College The 2008 season has been a productive one in the conservation lab. In the middle of July we were joined by Batyah Shtrum from the Metroplitan Museum of Art in New York. She took over as head conservator at Chris White's departure. Thanks to her diligent attention many 2008 objects have been conserved, including a number of bronze coins and a variety of ceramics. Conservation interns, Jenny Dennis and Ariel O'Conner, worked on these objects, and under Batyah's supervision, conducted an important survey of metal objects from the site and stabilized artifacts before consignment to our new archaeological museum in Dicomano. Our new Head Conservator, Batyah Shtrum   Conservation Interns Jennifer Davis and Ariel O'Conner at work in the conservation lab Anne Hooton and Fiammetta Calosi continued to build our illustration archive with illustrations ranging from an antefix to black glaze pottery to a pithos reconstructed several years ago and recently consigned to the Dicomano museum. At the same time, Stephanie Brown added many objects to our photographic archive and worked with students to document inventoried finds for their research projects. Illustration Team Anne Hooton and Fiammetta Calosi   Photographer Stephanie Brown As we finish up the 2008 season, and I reflect on our progress in building an archaeological archive, I owe a special debt of gratitude to Courtney Brasher and Jack Carlson. Their efforts in cataloging, data entry and general organization continue to allow scholars and students to utilize the Poggio Colla lab for research and study of a wide variety of Etruscan material culture, from the Orientalizing through Hellenistic periods. Assistant Lab Supervisor Jack Carlson   Lab Supervisor Courtney Brasher   Above and below: Conservation Team Batyah Shtrum, Ariel O'Conner, and Jennifer Dennis consolidate a column base on site, prior to backfilling Trench PC 32   Stephanie Brown, Batyah Shtrum, Courtney Brasher, and Ariel O'Conner   Batyah Shtrum examines a vessel from the Podere Funghi   Conservation Intern Ariel O'Conner   Conservation Intern Jennifer Dennis   Assistant Archaeological Illustrator Fiammetta Calosi at work   Director of Research Ann Steiner   Research   For photographs of key finds from trenches in the recent season, see Finds. For information on the Conservation Lab, see below. For additional information on the lab and magazzino, visit the Labs page listed under Facilities.   About the Conservation Lab In the conservation lab, conservators and assistant conservators clean, conserve, and label finds. Conservation involves the repair, consolidation, and preservation of material remains. In special cases, our conservators will come up to the site and assist in the removal of fragile remains. Conservation work requires expertise in art history, science, and studio art, and an understanding of archaeological methodology. 2007 Conservation and Illustration lab and staff: Josiah Wagener, Allison Lewis, Wendy Walker, and Anne Hooton   Puzzle: a table of pot sherds to be matched up and joined.   Conservation tools and chemicals used in cleaning and joining finds.   Axe from Poggio Colla trench being cleaned in conservation lab   Chris White joins and restores fragments of a bucchero oinochoe.   Chris White with his portable conservation lab.   Anna Serotta and Chris White lifting bowl from Trench PC 28 for transport to the lab.     Co-Directors: Gregory Warden gwarden@mail.smu.edu and Michael Thomas mlthomas@mail.utexas.edu Excavation house phone during the field season: (011-39) 055-844-9834