Ceramics Affected by Floods: Insights from the First Response to Conservation Treatment

How do ceramics respond to floodwater and mud? Data from three flood–affected sites in Belgium and Italy have been collected to address this question. The assemblage from each site comprises various types of ceramics, primarily glazed and unglazed earthenware. Several cultural heritage professionals involved at different stages – from the initial response to extensive cleaning and inventory tasks in the years following the event – were interviewed. This article does not provide a comprehensive account of the damage that all types of ceramics may endure. Nevertheless, the observations gathered from these three specific flooded sites housing ceramic collections offer an overview of some of the factors influencing ceramics during floods. These factors include object–specific elements (e.g., ceramic type, decoration, condition, previous restorations), a collection’s context (e.g., the number of objects to be recovered and treated, the presence of more vulnerable or valuable materials, and the storage materials used), flood–specific influences (e.g., the composition of floodwater and mud, the speed or extent of flood movement, and early access to the flooded site), and, importantly, resources (e.g., time, budget constraints, personnel, external advisors and volunteers, as well as the necessary expertise for training, organising, and supervising them, materials, equipment storage, and treatment locations). Furthermore, it underscores the necessity for systematic documentation and analysis of alterations to assess the true impact of a natural or man–made disaster on heritage collections.