Two staff conservators perform the task of restoring excavated finds at the Austrian Archaeological Institute. The know-how of the personnel, and the laboratories at their disposal, enable the practice of conservation methods which conform to international standards. The excavated finds requiring conservation and restoration comprise the entire palette of materials which were worked in antiquity; also included are organic raw materials, which due to regional circumstances are the least common. Mentioned separately amongst the objects requiring conservation are amber, wood, less frequently leather, and slightly more common, bone.
Quantitatively more work is afforded by the group of metal finds. Silver, and particularly bronze and iron objects require their corroded layers to be removed, and their outer surfaces to be revealed, evaluated, and stabilized.
There are also large quantities of ceramic finds, while the amount of glass ware to be worked on is significantly smaller.
The conservation of stone architectural elements and decorated surfaces such as wall painting and mosaics occurs in the laboratory only in exceptional cases, if for example these are not able to be preserved at the excavation site. Here, rescued wall paintings which have been lifted off, and mosaics with special application methods are made secure. From the outset, however, an attempt is always made to conserve architectural materials in situ. Finally, the fabrication of copies made out of silicone, for example for exhibition purposes or for simple commercial grounds, is an additional area in which the Institute conservation experts are involved.