Hadrian's Wall frozen in time: New archive catalogues how English Heritage keeps historical site stuck in the past
This article originally appeared on Culture24.
Exhibition Preview: Working the Stasis at Chesters Roman Fort and Birdoswald Roman Fort until September 14 2015
Artist Dawn Felicia Knox with material collected and archived during the conservation of Hadrian's Wall© Courtesy of English HeritageNewcastle-based artist Dawn Felicia Knox spent 12 months with the volunteers who carry out this vital work, categorising and archiving everything that was removed from the Wall, museums and surrounding sites for her new exhibition Working the Stasis.
Speaking about the national landmark, Knox said: “When I first began spending time on Hadrian’s Wall, I was struck by the sense that no time had passed, that the monument and ancient sites are standing now as they had for centuries.
“This is true but only thanks to the endless and meticulous work of dedicated volunteers, curators, conservators and ground workers.
“I wanted to make a series of exhibitions that show the public the unending work that is needed to preserve our heritage and to give visitors a chance to see and experience what it usually unseen.”
Dawn Felicia Knox adding new material to the archive© Courtesy of English HeritageDetailing the cleaning of the West Gate at Chesters Roman Fort, which saw groundskeepers remove all the moss and weeds from the stones with brushes and soft wooden implements, Knox then spent time with the conservator, who repaired broken or cracked pottery and glass items, recording all the work that was done.
Frances McIntosh, English Heritage’s Curator of Roman Collections, was surprised by how much there was to archive. “There is a huge amount of material which has been discovered at the sites along Hadrian’s Wall," she says.
“We couldn’t possibly display it all and so have to make the difficult decision of what is displayed and what is stored.”
Explaining how the objects are preserved, she adds: "Archaeological material is sensitive to temperature and relative humidity and these are constantly monitored in the store and in the museums.
“Each item has its own unique catalogue number and this is entered onto our database where we record information about its condition, age and where it comes from.
“With material from 300 years of occupation on Hadrian’s Wall there is a huge amount to learn.”
Visit english-heritage.org.uk/stasis for more.
- Dawn Felicia Knox's Working the Stasis is at Chesters Roman Fort and Birdoswald Roman Fort until September 14.
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