Another risk from long ages
Over recent decades, museums have been changing the way they care for their geological collections.
It was long thought that fossils, rocks, and minerals were too strong and durable to deteriorate. So they did not need special attention to stop this. However, Dr Caroline Buttler from the UK, in an old article that just came to our notice, indicated otherwise. She said that environmental factors can be “major threats” to such materials. For example, she mentioned temperature, humidity, light, and pollution. These can cause minerals and fossils to deteriorate much more rapidly than previously assumed.
She also outlined in detail a number of the mechanisms by which they decay. These even sometimes lead to their “complete destruction”. The article also gave ways to try to extend their life. She reported a growing interest in providing appropriate storage conditions, and specialist staff to care for them.
Interestingly, Dr Buttler commented on what caused this past careless attitude. “Perhaps” it was the thought that the rocks and fossils “had already survived millions of years”. That suggests long-age evolutionary beliefs fostered the idea that they would not need any particular attention.
- Buttler, C., Preserving geological museum collections, Deposits 16:4–6, 2008.
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