Formentera holds second course on sound salvaging

foto-curs-conservacio---sub-1The culture and patrimony arm of the Formentera Council announces that classes will begin today in the second run of a hands-on course about conserving metals discovered in the sea.

Patrimony secretary Susana Labrador stressed the importance of supporting such initiatives—“our heritage demands conservation”, she said, projecting “future finds of this kind are sure to further contribute to expansion. That's why it's crucial we build a base of trained professionals to support that”.

This is the second such course on Formentera. From Wednesday to Saturday, roughly ten conservation and restoration experts from varying specialties will gather on the island to hear from Philippe de Viviés and Jean-Bernard Memet, experts in new strategies on handling metal objects removed from the sea.

The classes, with both theoretical and practical components, are organised by the Formentera Council and the Balearic institute of maritime archaeological studies, IBEAM, with collaboration from the archaeological museum of Eivissa and Formentera as well as additional support from Trasmapi transport company.

Subaquatic architect and course instructor Javier Rodríguez says classes will “offer a look at the role of restorers in underwater excavations, from planning and execution to subsequent handling in the lab and preparation for display in a museum”.

So students can take conservation training even further, the hands-on learning sessions will involve restoration of an 17th- or 18th-century anchor pulled from the sea in 1997 near La Mola's lighthouse.