Bit of a stretch for the community, but I figured if anyone can help me it’s probably the people of the archaeology community. Mods strike me down if I hath sinned.

Ok - story first, then I get to what I want to ask for help with.

So as you can see, I have an old cobblestone from a street I used to live above a while back. It was an old part of town with an asphalt road and apparently they had just paved over the original street, which apparently had a set of trolley tracks at one point.

They tore the asphalt up for some construction reason and found the original cobblestone street. The historical society apparently made them halt work and debated, but eventually decided they didn’t have storage space or something because after a couple of weeks of the old street sitting uncovered with a fence around it like an exhibit stuck out of time, the cobbles were in a heap in a dumpster, the ancient rusty tracks were tossed aside and a hole had been dug where they were.

I was upset, to say the least. So of course I picked one out (one I think was touching the rail, thus the rust) and have had it since.

So - this is the part where I ask for help. The grout is solid but every time I move it, a ton of rocks and whatnot fall off. This one was next to the tracks and has a bit of metal rusted to the side that fell off (you can see it in the photo) I’m thinking about using cyanoacrylate glue for that but I’d like to find a way to transport it without more of the old as frig grout disintegrating if I pack it in paper or something to transport it when I move.

I’ve heard hairspray is a thing? Would that be a mistake? Looking for anyone who actually knows preservation techniques, please! Lots of stuff falls off every time I move it.

Edit: I have to move it soon, moving across the country. Once I get there it’ll sit as it has but stuff is going to fall off if I just put it in a bin with paper.

Edit 2: Would Saran-wrapping it while I move, then unwrapping it once I can leave it alone be an option? Afraid it’d be worse than just packing it in moving paper

    • FoxyFerengi@lemm.eeEnglish
      8·
      7 days ago

      Seconding this. Water is also a chemical, and is one of the primary ways rock is worn down.

      My professor is an archeologist who specializes in late bronze/early iron age, and it’s not unusual to find pieces in collections that have been covered in hairspray or clear nail polish much to her chagrin.

      I am also friends with a museum curator. I won’t see either of them until Wednesday, but I’ll reply again with what they suggest

      • whodatdairOPEnglish
        3·
        7 days ago

        Thank you! Mostly I just have to move it soon (moving across the country) and want to know how to keep the loose sand & pebbles in the grout from rubbing off

  • Pyr@lemmy.caEnglish
    8·
    7 days ago

    My family has a brick from the foundation of my grandpa’s windmill that he grew in in Holland, which I think is now a heritage site. It’s been just fine hanging out on a shelf exposed in house for the past 30 years. Don’t touch it much or do anything really it’s just sits there. Like a rock or something.

  • fossilesque@mander.xyzMEnglish
    3·
    6 days ago

    Masonry isn’t my thing, buttt…

    Paging @troyunrau@lemmy.ca :)

    I can say though, working in museums we get a lot of random stuff like this that goes to the dump or education collection (kids play with it) if it doesn’t have proper provenencing, so if you want it to last, write down everything you know about it incuding the location it was taken from and how you got ahold of it and put it somewhere safe.

    PS: You might want to crosspost ot !geology@lemmy.ca

    Possibly paging @Track_Shovel@slrpnk.net ?

    • whodatdairOPEnglish
      3·
      6 days ago

      Thank you so much!! That’s a good point, I actually have a bunch of photos of the street - maybe I’ll print a couple and write the location on them :)

      Appreciate the response! ❤️

      • fossilesque@mander.xyzMEnglish
        3·
        6 days ago

        If you can, keep them close to the object too, just in case you get hit by a bus or something with a note to send to the local historical society. ;)

    • sit@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      1·
      6 days ago

      Now I actually read your post.

      I don’t know anything about this stuff.

      Here’s my would-be-approach:

      • leave the stone as it is. That’s just the character of the thing to lose material. It’s part of the deal.

      • option two would be to remove as much material by hand as comes off easy, maybe using a rubberhammer to remove medium loose material

  • BigMikeInAustin@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    7 days ago

    I’m imagining it suspended in epoxy in a display case, like those people who put food in epoxy and it often stays perfectly preserved for years. (I’m unaware of any that have been going long enough to be called decades.)

    Congrats on your find and saving a bit of history.