'This manual is designed to take the mysticism out of archaeological artefact conservation and act as both reference and guide. It is intended as a tool to assist archaeologists in stabilizing a majority of the artefacts they excavate, or those already in storage. These stabilized archaeological collections will be preserved into the future, permitting reexamination and multiple interpretations of the data as our knowledge base grows through time. In addition, conservation will permit improved in-depth primary artefact interpretation, as fully conserved artefacts reveal fabrication, wear patterns, and detail impossible to detect in non-conserved artefacts. Conservation, therefore, is a critical tool within archaeology, a tool that becomes less meaningful if it is isolated, or seen as merely a technical skill that can be farmed out to the 'hard sciences'."The Archaeologist's Manual for Conservation" is intended as a counterpoint to the popular specialization trend. My goal in offering this manual is to put artefacts back in the hands of archaeologists or material culture specialists who can best decipher them, opening avenues of artefact or material culture interpretation that are disappearing as artefacts either decay in storage or are sent away to the 'conservation professionals" - from the Introduction. This book is the culmination of over 10 years of work and the merging, expansion, and improvement of 2 previous works: "Conservator's Cookbook" and "Conservation of Water Soaked Materials Bibliography".Each chapter covers a particular substance: wood, iron, copper, glass, ceramic, organic artefacts, textiles, and leather, composite artefacts. Chapters begin with a visual flow chart, walking the archaeologist through a step-by-step stabilization process, backed in the text by theoretical discussion and description. Practical methodology follows theory in each chapter giving the archaeologist a more detailed description of preserving material remains. Chapters are backed and serviced by the most comprehensive bibliographic reference available today. "The Archaeologist's Manual for Conservation" was developed through extensive documentary research, laboratory trial and error, and the feedback of both underwater and terrestrial archaeologists. It will become an indispensable reference for all archaeologists, laboratory technicians, archaeology students, curators, and conservators concerned with simple, proven, non-toxic, artefact conservation procedures.