Conserving Collections of Conflict: Imperialism and Cultural Identity by Kristen Gillette (UCL Institute of Archaeology)

The Royal Museum for Central Africa in Belgium houses a large and varied collection of zoological specimens and cultural artefacts that were taken from the Congo during the Belgian occupation (1885 – 1960).  Kristen Gillette discusses the foundational history and causes for the loss of context in Congolese objects and offers observations on why and how a conservator should address this collection’s context. The knowledge collected through conservation treatments can lead to better questions and more thorough answers that may assist, not only in the possible repatriation of objects, but also in the restoration of cultural identity.

This is the abstract of a poster to be presented at 'The impact of cross-disciplinary conservation on social development', the UCL Institute of Archaeology Annual Conference 2014. 
The conference will be held Friday and Saturday, 16 & 17 May 2014, at the UCL Institute of Archaeology in Lecture Theatre G6 from 8:30 to 18:00.  Conference posters will be on display all day Friday in room 612.
You can book your tickets here!