Anatomical Interrogation of Maritime Heritage: Molecular Wood Diagnostics of an 18th-Century Russian Ceremonal Sword
Title: Identification of the Wood Used in the Hilt of the Russian Sword Found in 1770 Yevstafiy Wreck (1770 Yevstafiy Batığına Ait Rus Kılıcın Kabzasında Kullanılan Ahşabın Cins Tayini)
Authors: Prof. Dr. Ünal AKKEMİK, Uğur GENÇ (Conservator, Research Coordinator)
Publication: Arkeoloji ve Sanat (Journal of Archaeology & Art), Issue: 153, pp. 249-252
Year: 2016
Authors: Prof. Dr. Ünal AKKEMİK, Uğur GENÇ (Conservator, Research Coordinator)
Publication: Arkeoloji ve Sanat (Journal of Archaeology & Art), Issue: 153, pp. 249-252
Year: 2016
Coordinating Microscopic Intelligence for Macro-Conservation Strategy
When dealing with waterlogged composite artifacts recovered from historic shipwrecks, surface observation is never enough. In this scientific collaboration with Prof. Dr. Ünal Akkemik, we focused on the degraded wood hidden within the complex metal hilt of an 18th-century Russian ceremonial sword from the Yevstafiy wreck (1770).
My central role in this research transcended traditional physical cleaning; I operated as a Research Coordinator who bridged the gap between archaeological conservation and professional wood anatomy. Due to two centuries of marine submersion and subsequent chloride-induced degradation, the sample was exceptionally fragile, measuring only 2x3x3 mm3. By initiating a precise, non-intrusive micro-sampling protocol and utilizing high-resolution microscopic cross-sections (transverse, tangential, and radial), we interrogated the cellular layout of the vessel elements and spiral thickenings. This forensic coordination allowed us to generate undeniable scientific data from an otherwise invisible layer of history.
Key Highlights & Impact
- The “Tilia” Discovery: Successfully identifying the hilt component as Lime tree (Ihlamur / Tilia sp.), confirming the historical preference of 18th-century craftsmen for easily machinable woods in military artistry.
- Predicting the Invisible Scabbard: Proving that because sword hilts and scabbards were traditionally produced as a matched set by the same woodcarvers, identifying the hilt wood provides indirect, crucial technological data about the sword’s lost or un-samplable scabbard.
- Governing the Polymer Concentration: This identification provided the mandatory baseline data for my subsequent Silicon Oil (Polymer Stabilization) strategy, allowing us to select the exact polymer concentration that the porous cell structure of Tilia could safely tolerate.
- Institutional Framework: Demonstrating how the Istanbul Central Laboratory coordinates directly with forestry faculties to transform isolated excavation finds into peer-reviewed, published heritage science datasets.
Citation
Akkemik, Ü., & Genç, U. (2016). “Identification of the Wood Used in the Hilt of the Russian Sword Found in 1770 Yevstafiy Wreck” (1770 Yevstafiy Batığına Ait Rus Kılıcın Kabzasında Kullanılan Ahşabın Cins Tayini). Arkeoloji ve Sanat (Journal of Archaeology & Art), (153), pp. 249-252