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Natural-History-Conservation.com
Cleaning, conserving and rebuilding a large Titanites ammonite

This large Jurassic ‘Titanites’ ammonite was on open display in the gardens of Exeter University for
many years, exposed to all weathers. About 73cm in diameter and about 20cm deep and preserved in
limestone, the specimen was cemented to a large limestone block beneath, and further held in place with
a large metal peg which was inserted both into the centre of the ammonite and into the limestone block
and secured with a very tough epoxy resin. Vegetation had been allowed to grow over the specimen until
recently. As a result of general weathering and specifically freeze/thaw action, the specimen had cracked
into many large pieces and a couple of dozen smaller pieces, many off which had fallen off. Several
other fragments were very loose. It had possibly disintegrated so badly over the previous year or so due
to the cold winter of 2009-2010. It was in an extremely vulnerable state and needed to be removed to
shelter before it suffered more damage.

Dismantling and removal of the specimen:

The smaller pieces that had already fallen off were bagged-up straight away, keeping together those that
seemed to be in association. Then, the medium-sized pieces were bagged-up, labelled and finally the
larger pieces. The worst of the mortar was removed with a chisel and soft mallet and disposed of. All

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pieces were laid on a foam mattress for transportation. As the specimen was dismantled, photos were
taken to record positions and to show quite how dirty the pieces were. Soil had formed in the gaps
between the fragments, and the specimen was dotted with lichens and mosses. The specimen was taken
to the conservation studio in Shropshire where it was cleaned and reassembled.

Cleaning and repairing the specimen:

The specimen was extremely dirty from the vegetation that grew over it, and from the soils that
developed in the cracks between the pieces and underneath. Also, lichens and mosses needed to be
removed. The specimen was brushed with soft brushes, which did little. Small experiments with
swabbing with Syperonic-N and distilled water showed a propensity for the wetted soils to stain the
specimen. The lichens in particular proved to be very stubborn. It was found that the only method that
would remove soil, dirt, and lichens without damaging the surface was a precise jet of compressed air
lightly laced with sodium bicarbonate, using a Swamblaster airabrasive unit. This was a very time-
consuming process, working in areas a few mm square at a time. Epoxy resin had to be removed, from
where the specimen was secured to the metal peg. This was undertaken with small chisels and scalpels
and a small soft hammer.

Photographs of three pieces of the specimen, each half way through cleaning, showing the condition of
the specimen before and after treatment.

Once cleaned, the pieces could be adhered back together. First, the surfaces requiring gluing needed an
application of consolidant, to build up the strength of the limestone either side of the breaks, particularly
as the larger pieces were quite heavy. The adhesive was Paraloid B72 (a reversible museum-quality
methacrylate copolymer), and the consolidant was the same, mixed with acetone (about 10% PB72, 90%
acetone). As the specimen had to be repaired in a vertical position to use gravity to help secure the
pieces together rather than working flat, a Paraloid-based gap-filler could not easily be used (normally

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small gaps would be filled with a mixture made from Paraloid consolidant (25% in acetone) and glass
beads 44 microns in diameter. This is reversible with the application of acetone). This is because it
would tend to flow out before setting, flowing over the surface of the specimen. Instead, plaster of paris
was used where necessary. This was then painted-out with artists acrylic paints.

Several of the pieces are (or contain) the natural casts of small molluscs that were washed into the
ammonite shell before or during its burial. They may be useful if someone in the future would like to
study the taphonomy of the specimen. Regarding this, many of the tiny pin-sized holes in the surface of
the specimen were probably bryozoa that were living on the inside of the shell after the ammonite died
and the shell was on the Jurassic sea floor before burial.

Photographs of some of the associated small molluscs.

The specimen now sits on a wooden board lined with inert Plastazote foam. As it is the in-filling of an
ammonite shell (a natural cast) with no internal structural integrity and consists of a soft limestone, and
because it was shattered into many pieces, it is still relatively fragile even after repair - partly because it
is so heavy. It will have to be handled carefully.

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For more details about what we can do for you, or for a quote, please contact:
enquiries@natural-history-conservation.com
We are members of the United Kingdom Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works

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http://www.natural-history-conservation.com/ammonite.htm 23/02/2011