The ancient cultural heritage relics, left exposed to degradation factors of several kinds over the years, require a scientific approach and methods for preserving them. Scientific conservation involves identifying the exact cause of the decay, rectifying, treating and preserving for posterity. Identifying the importance and scope of the field, the state government in 1979 decided to upgrade the conservation laboratory of the Department to Regional Conservation Laboratory, so that its expertise and service could be utilised by other institutions as well. The lab was accordingly modernised with fresh equipment, machinery, and chemicals so as to provide support to fellow Departments in the conservation of all kinds of manuscripts, like palm leaves, paper, and hide, as well as in the conservation of ancient seals, sculptures in wood, metals, stones and coins.
Murals and canvas paintings constitute one of the most important art heritages of Kerala. This artistic pursuit that began in the 9th century bloomed in the 15th and 16th centuries and continued into the 20th century. The state boasts about 150 mural painting sites and a huge collection of canvas and paper paintings, among which the more important mural sites are under the care of the State Department of Archaeology. The murals created using natural pigments from plants and minerals are liable to be affected by climatic and weather fluctuations, in addition to human interventions. Scientific treatments and protective measures are inevitable for their survival. The murals at Ettumanur, Thodikkalam, Padmanabhapuram, Pundareekapuram, Thirunayathodu, Thrikkodithanam, Venkatathevar and Balussery Kota are some of the sites where preservation, conservation or restoration, as required, were undertaken by the Kerala Archaeology Department.
Any action, either direct or indirect, minimum or maximum, undertaken to safeguard the posterity of an artefact or monument can be regarded as an intervention for conservation. In this regard, it is impossible to specify each and every intervention the chemical conservation wing has made to preserve the huge collections in our museums and our monuments. Some of the major and most recent projects the chemical conservation wing has undertaken are:
The most notable of it is the conservation of murals in the Siva Temple at Thodikkalam in Kannur district, which occupy special status among Kerala’s temple murals. Another signature work undertaken has been the conservation of canvas paintings and exhibits at the Hill Palace Museum. The chemical cleaning of stone inscriptions and sculptures exhibited in the Padmanabhapuram Palace was an important one. The experience of providing chemical treatment to stabilize and arrest the decay of metal objects unearthed in the Kottappuram Excavation was totally different. Other major works include the weed control treatment of Kizhakke Kota (East Fort), Madavoorpara, Moodathumadom, Hill Palace and the Ananthavilasam Palace. The conservation of artefacts selected for display after the refurbishment of Nedumangad Koyikal Palace. Similarly, the conservation of over a thousand objects collected and stored in the Sreepadam Palace, designated for display in the District Heritage Museum in Thiruvanantapuram, was a major accomplishment. The ethnographic objects collected from local communities and tribes for display in the Idukki District Heritage Museum were also subjected to chemical treatments. The conservation of ancient coins recovered from the premises of the Thirupalkadal Temple in Chirayinkeezhu, from Thankassery, and from Sasthamkotta Lake, Kollam, are some of the recent works. Every five years, chemical treatments are repeated on our century-old monuments to prevent attacks from biological agents like termites. Once in a while, free training programs are conducted for a limited number of interested aspirants, graduates in science, and are utilised in the conservation projects of the Department.
