Conservation in Antarctica

In a world first for cultural heritage conservation, three hardy conservators set out in early 2006 to spend the harsh winter months in Antarctica. They were followed by others and now the 2009 summer conservators are on the ice, telling their story through this blog.

The conservation work

The conservators are working to save Captain Robert Falcon Scott's base at Cape Evans, which he used for his 1911 race for the South Pole.  The hut itself is at risk from snow build-up and it contains over 8000 artefacts to conserve.  These are items left behind by the explorers who lived in the hut - cans of food, equipment and clothing, which tell a touching tale of life in one of Earth's harshest environments.

This hut has remained frozen in time, but is now in urgent need of conservation, a task which is being undertaken in some of the harshest conditions the world has to offer, with freezing temperatures, hurricane-force winds and, in winter, the challenge of 24-hour darkness.

The conservators are based at New Zealand's modern Antarctic research station, Scott Base.

Follow their story on the team's Antarctic conservation blog

Shackleton's hut

Past teams of conservators have also worked on the hut at Cape Royds where Shackleton and nine other team members left their ship, the Nimrod, to winter on Ross Island in Antarctica's McMurdo Sound on 22 February 1908.

Designed and pre-fabricated before the mission, the cabin is big enough to house 15 people in a single room. There is also an improvised garage and stable made from packing boxes for the ponies and dogs.

The hut still houses Shackleton’s team’s equipment and many of their personal possessions including clothing, books and food, some canned, some preserved by the freezing environment. Over 5000 of these artefacts have now been conserved as part of the Antarctic heritage and the work on the hut is now complete.