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Another Rib Repair

Here is another rib repair that Gordon has carried out. This time it was a large crack that had opened up in the bone that required filling. The deep cracks were first packed with polyether foam. A layer of ground cork mixed with B-72 (a conservation glue) is then spread over the surface of the foam. This is then covered with a skin of balsa wood 'flour' (finely ground balsa wood) mixed with B-72 to complete the fill.

Rib Repairs

In addition to cleaning the skeletons we must carry out repair work where bones have broken or degraded. This helps to stabilise the skeletons and also improves the appearance of the damaged bones.

All the repairs were undertaken using methods that will last for the forseeable future but can also be reversed (undone) if necessary. This is very important as although we wish to repair and conserve the skeletons we do not want to make permenant changes to them.

Many of the skeletons have broken ribs and Gordon has been busy repairing them. He has used different techniques depending upon the type of break or damage, as no two were the same.

The ribs were disarticulated from the skeletons so that work could be carried out on them and then re-mounted when the repairs were completed.

Here is an example of one of the repairs that Gordon has carried out on a broken rib from the Right whale ....


A) This is the break in the rib that requires repairing.


B) The ends of the bone are glued together using a special conservation glue called Paraloid that can be disolved which acetone if the bone needs to be taken apart again.


C) The joint is re-inforced with a small metal pole.



D) Small pieces of soft wood are cut and shapped to fill the gap.



E) The wood is then trimmed and smoothed to match the surface of the bone. Can you see the repair..??!

Whale Washing Videos.

Here are some links to videos about the work we are doing in the Whale Hall.

Just click on the title:
Hvalrens 2010

Hvalvask

Whale Washing (English)

How old are the whales?

We know the history of the whale hall, the date the whales were collected and which species each whale is but what we don’t know is how old the whales are. Are they baby whales or grandma whales? How can we tell?

The answer is in the morphology of the bones. The vertebrate skeleton (such as a whale’s) begins as cartilage which is then ossified (replaced by bone) as the animal grows. However at the top and bottom of the bones a strip of cartilage remains, this is known as the growth plate.

This cartilaginous plate provides a growth zone in an otherwise fully ossified bone allowing bones to increase in length and size during development. The cartilage grows continually and is steadily replaced by bone until a final size has been achieved, then the remaining cartilage will stop duplicating and is ossified, permanently closing the growth plate.

By examining the whale skeletons and looking for growth plates – which will look like gaps in specific parts of the bones as the cartilage is not longer in situ – we can tell if the individual was still growing or was a fully grown adult.

After close examinations of all 8 whales in the hall we found that every one of the whales had open growth plates in one or more bone – we found them in the vertebrae, scapular, ulna, radius, and humerus. This indicates that all of the whales were still growing and although we cannot give them a specific age we know they were not fully, skeletally mature.

Unfused growth plates in caudal vertebrae. Indicated by white arrows. Sei whale.

A close up of the unfused vertebral gowth plates. Sei whale.

Growth plates at the humerus, ulna and radius. The ulnar plate is partially fused. Sei whale.

A close up of the growth plates at the elbow.

Catherine, the anatomist on the team is currently researching how we can use the growth plates that have been found to provide a more specific age for each whale. The use of ossification status has been extensively researched and utilised to estimate chronological age in many mammalian species but due to the obvious limitations in studying the skeletons of these huge, rare, aquatic animals more research, such as that being carried out here in Bergen whale hall is required to answer our questions about whale age.

A Whale Hall Update and A Surprise Discovery

We have now cleaned three of the largest whales in the collection, a Northern Right whale, a Humpback whale and a Sei whale and we are in the process of cleaning the equally massive Finn whale. There is still some work to be carried out these skeletons as we will fill in cracks found in bones, repalce missing parts of bones and re-articulate some of the ribs which were removed for cleaning.

Things are going well and we are continuing with the wet cleaning methods we have refined over the previous months. Currently we are working on the tail (caudal vertebrae) and ribs and so far, although very dirty, this skeleton does not appear to be very oily in comparison to the others.

Whilst cleaning the tail vertebrae Marielle has come across something very interesting…..

On the dorsal surface of the lateral process of the 41st vertebrae she saw something under the dirt scratched into the surface of the bones – as she rubbed away some of the dirt it become clear…

It would appear that one of the people preparing this whale skeleton has scratched his or her initials and date into the bone – a very interesting, and very old, artefact and a very special connection to the person who was last cleaning these bones over 100 years before Marielle. You never know, there may be more surprises under the dirt as we continue…

Stone Conservation

Stone conservation at the Bergen Museum

This month two of our team, Zina and Marielle were leant out from the whale project for three weeks to help clean and restore a beautiful stone sculpture of the goddess Athena. She is the goddess of wisdom and adorns the front of the museum and her attribute, the owl, can be seen in the Bergen University’s seal.

The sculpture on the museums façade is composed of Athena in the centre, measuring 1280 x 700 x 2050 mm (length x depth x hight) flanked by two smaller rocaille volute ornaments. The stone ornaments have been carved in German sandstone possibly Obernhofern sandstone which is also known as Bremer stone.

A drawing of the Athena sculpture and stone carvings on the front of Bergen Musuem.

Over the years, since it was created in 1865, the sculpture has been badly affected by the pollution in Bergen and a black crust has formed over the stone. In addition the sculpture has other problems such as flaking stone which has been caused by running water, frost and salt damage. A stone conservator from Stavanger Museum came to assess the work and make an initial treatment proposal and then Zina and Marielle began work on restoring this beautiful and symbolic feature of Bergen University .

The first week up on the scaffolding the temperature held a steady minus ten degrees and we were very grateful when woolly socks were bought in and an extra heater was put up! We started with testing the recommended cleaning method which was first soaking the surface with water and then cleaning with soft metal brushes and more water. Since the black dirt was tougher then anticipated, we developed a method of packing them in over night with wet cloths (to keep them wet as long as possible before cleaning) as well as applying a triammoniumcitrate gel on very black areas. This complex binder loosened the black dirt a bit and saved our arms from scrubbing too much!

Pictures of part of the Athena Sculpture before and after cleaning.

Over the three weeks we carried out this method and with a lot of scrubbing we were happy with the result in the end. By doing repairs with a sandstone mortar on flaking surfaces the stone will be protected from further damage caused by rain and frost. We have enjoyed undertaking some stone conservation work but we’re also looking forward to being back in the (relative) warmth of the whale hall!

So, for now it’s time for Christmas holidays and celebrations and work on the whales will begin again in January 2011. From everyone in the whale team we wish you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.