In the middle of last March, the news about the graffiti in the Naveta des Tudons flooded the digital newspapers of our country. To the astonishment of all lovers of history and archeology, this construction, erected by the inhabitants of the Talayotic Culture, woke up with dozens of graffiti on its stones that have around three thousand years of history.
To tell us your impressions about the monument and especially to find out what its restoration process will be like, today in Walking Through History we have the presence of Silvia Marín, archaeologist and conservator- restorer, professor at the Higher School of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Assets of Catalonia.
- First of all, Silvia, thank you very much for joining us. To begin, we would like to know your impression of the Talayotic Culture. Did you know it before? Or, on the contrary, is this the first time you have faced the challenge of restoring one of its magnificent archaeological remains?
Hello José Mari, thank you very much for interviewing me. Well, it's the first time I've been lucky enough to work on a Talayotic monument, it's a shame it was under these circumstances, as you well know, due to vandalism. The truth is that the Talayotic culture is incredible, you have to see the remains in situ because they are very monumental, you don't imagine them so big and so complex until you visit them. We really do not value enough the patrimonial treasure that we have on the islands and it is really incredible.
Talatí from Dalt (Menorca)
- Where does the importance of the Naveta des Tudons lie, within the context of the recent prehistory of Mediterranean cultures?
Well, La Naveta des Tudons It is part of the exceptional prehistoric monumental complex of Menorca, in fact, it is considered the most important construction of Balearic Prehistory and the oldest preserved complete building in all of Europe. In addition, this type of navetas exists only in Menorca, they are something unique in the world. On the other hand, its two-story construction, its monumental cyclopean technique... make it exceptional because we are talking about a very advanced prehistoric construction. In addition, the naveta provided a lot of historical information, since the remains of more than one hundred burials were found inside, along with its funerary trousseau, which included bronze bracelets, bone buttons, weapons, ceramic vessels, leather cases in which he kept hair… a lot of funerary ritual information. In addition, it must be added that normally finding organic material that is so old and in a good state of conservation is very difficult and for conservators-restorers it is still a truly exceptional find.
- We know you're not traveling alone, introduce us to your partner Aleix Barberà.
Well, Aleix Barberà is a very good restorer, a specialist in stone, sculpture and mural painting. He works both in restoration itself and in virtual restoration and the virtualization of heritage in various institutions, such as the "Centre de Restauració de Béns Mobles de Catalunya". In addition, we share the same methodological line, which is the most important thing when you work as a team, so it's great to work together whenever we can.
- What are the reasons for choosing Silvia Marín and Aleix Barberà to restore the Naveta delsTudons?
Well, the island council was warned about the graffiti on La Naveta and, in the absence of a conservation technician on the island, they asked the Béns Mobles Restoration Center for advice of Catalonia. The CRBMC sent us because we apply a very respectful methodology for cleaning heritage work and at the same time very effective. This methodology has been created by Dr. Richard Wolbers of the University of Delaware (USA) and really means a before and after in the world of restoration. In fact, Dr. Wolbers has been in Barcelona for 10 days giving three workshops just a month ago.
- As you mentioned, a few weeks ago one of the world's leading restoration experts passed through Catalonia, can you introduce us to the character and tell us a little about his revolutionary methods?
Dr. Richard Wolbers is a wonderful teacher and one of, if not the, world's leading restorers. His cleaning methodology has totally changed the way of intervening a work of art. His approach is always more ecological and safer, totally reducing the risks for the work, that is, he works by controlling the humidity, the pH and the conductivity of both the solution and the patrimonial surface. All this makes the whole process very controllable. In addition, work is being done to avoid leaving residues on the construction site and also to reduce risks for the restorer (non-toxic treatments). To give you an example, to remove an aerosol paint we would normally work with solvents, right? Well, with the Wolbers method you could eliminate it, as has been the case, with an aqueous solution, yes, adjusting the pH and adding a chelator (a sequestrant of metal ions in minute concentrations). That pH, in addition to making some elements more soluble (such as spray paint), also helps prevent other elements from dissolving, such as stone. That way, we can remove the spray without affecting the stone.
- Can you tell us in an understandable way for those not initiated in the restoration issue, what is the method chosen to return the Naveta to its most reliable state?
Well, the problem with spray paint is usually that it penetrates a lot into the stone and that is why it is so difficult to remove. In addition, in this case, it has been even more complicated because the surface of the stone is almost completely covered by lichens and these organisms have trapped the paint inside. After some tests, we have opted for an aqueous solution with a slightly basic pH, which protects the calcareous stone of the monument, to which we have added a chelating agent to help remove the black paint and to lighten the lichens, which made everything difficult. the process.
Silvia Marin in Hatta (Persian Gulf)
- How long will it take to see the Naveta des Tudons restored?
Well, this now depends on the island council or the government of Menorca, because after our report there will be a public contest to choose the company that will carry out the complete restoration . I suppose that soon (a few months) it will be completely free of the graffiti that has distorted its historical reading.
Thank you very much Silvia Marín, we will remain attentive in the coming weeks to see the restoration process of such an emblematic construction.
Cover image of Sergi García for the newspaper Menorca.info