Environmental control strategies for the in situ preservation of unearthed relics in archaeology museums

Archaeology museums play an important role in protecting unearthed cultural relics from natural weathering. However, many of the unearthed relics are still suffering from deterioration or even ruin due to improper environmental control in archaeology museums. In this study, we demonstrate that the disregard of environmental control for relics and the imbalances of energy and mass across in situ air-relic-soil interfaces in pits are important causes for the deterioration of relics. Thus, individual environmental management strategies for visitor passages and relic preservation are proposed for the long-term preservation of unearthed relics. Experimental investigations using the test pit, with radiant panels for control of the environmental interfaces, validated these management strategies for the preservation and display of relics in archaeology museums. These results have significant implications for understanding the mechanism of relic deterioration and for formulating appropriate strategies to create sustainable environments for long-term preservation of unearthed relics in archaeology museums.