PRESERVATION PROBLEMS CONNECTED WITH MORTUARY WAX-FAT (ADIPOCERE) SUBSTANCE REMOVING FROM TEXTILES EXCAVATED IN MASS GRAVES OF POLISH OFFICERS IN CHARKOV (Polish title below)

(Polish title: Prace konserwatorskie zwiazane z usuwaniem masy woskowo-tluszczowej z tekstyliów wydobytych ze zbiorowych mogil polskich oficerów w Charkowie). The purpose of this article is to present how great problem arose for conservators of archaeological monuments while removing mortuary wax-fat substance from the textiles excavated in Charkov. The textiles excavated from mass graves bore traces of damages and dirt caused by long using and as a result of deposition in the ground on decomposing bodies. The objects were subjected to disinfection before starting cleaning treatment. Cleaning operation started with plunging textile in warm water tank with detergent dissolved. When wax-fat stratifications were immense at first the effort was made to remove them using flat broad spatula. When fibres were uncovered from under the thick wax-fat layer, 10% PEG 200 (polyethylene glycol) was added to the bath in order to protect the textile and make it more flexible. Attempts to apply ultrasounds in order to loosen and delaminate tightly integrated wax-fat mass also were made. Operations described above were more than ten times repeated.