Libs and Laser Cleaning Applied to the Conservation of Objects Rescued from the Corvette H.M.S. SWIFT

Abstract

On March 13, 1770, as a consequence of a storm the war corvette H.M.S. SWIFT strand and sink at the Patagonian coast in the Deseado Ria, Santa Cruz, Argentina. The corvette was build by the british army in 1762 and it was a small and light ship. On 1982 a group of enthusiastic students discovered the corvette. Since that time more than 500 objects were rescued and belong now to the Museo Municipal Mario Brozoki located in the city of Puerto Deseado, Provincia de Santa Cruz, Argentina, who is in charged of the conservation of the pieces. In this work has identified the composition of eight pieces of metal using the LIBS (laser induced breakdown spectroscopy) in order to implement the appropriate conservation treatment. It also has the laser cleaning of some of these objects, including buckles and silver pieces.