Post by pigeonpie on Sept 3, 2010 19:09:13 GMT
Island’s heritage being lost for lack of air conditioning
Items in the Museu de Menorca, both exhibits and those in storage, are being destroyed due to inadequate climate control in the building, with bronzes rusting, paintings fading and cracking, pottery falling to pieces and manuscripts deterioriating.
This is according to a report produced by the museum’s management and experts which refers to the “deplorable” state of the infrastructure of the building to which all items unearthed at archaeological digs are sent for conservation. The analysis states that the survival of some of the finds is at risk even in the short term due to the variations in temperature and humidity caused by the lack of a centralised air conditioning system to maintain these at a constant level throughout the year.
There are further deficiencies in the museum: the sprinkler system does not work; there are no security cameras and some of the display cases are not hermetically sealed. Not only the exhibits, some of which are on loan, but also visitors and the museum staff are suffering from the heat and humidity in the building.
Yet, in spite of the very real risk of losing part of Menorca’s heritage (the report states that some archaeological finds have already been totally destroyed), there will be no money made available for the installation of a new air conditioning system until the 2011 budget, by which time five years will have passed since the old system broke down irreparably.
