Deposit of bronze weapons (Huelva)

Huelva, Bronce final (Sala 9, Vitrina 9)

This interesting collection of weapons reached the National Archaeological Museum in 1924 in a very poor state of conservation.

There are no records of any restorations carried out at that time, but we have a file from 1930 granting permission to experiment with innovative electrochemical treatments to remove corrosion from various swords at the museum.

The general appearance of this set of weapons suggests that they were subjected to the same procedures, nowadays considered to be aggressive because they also remove the patina that not only constitutes historical evidence but provides natural protection for archaeological metals. In the case of iron pieces, a coat of graphite was usually applied after cleaning to create a uniform silver appearance.

Research in this area continues to this day but under controlled conditions to preserve the original surfaces and patinas.