Paraffin, Paraloid, and Pathology: Re-evaluating Field Conservation Practices in Indonesian Archaeology

Mentari Halimun1*, Melandri Vlok2, Pratiwi Yuwono3, Marlin Tolla4, and Truman Simanjuntak5

The reconstruction of health and adaptation in tropical Asia-Pacific populations depends fundamentally on the physical integrity of skeletal remains. Periosteal surfaces preserve critical evidence of infectious disease, nutritional stress, and trauma, forming the basis for paleopathological and osteobiographical interpretation. Yet the survival of these microscopic indicators is shaped not only by burial environments, but by archaeological intervention itself. In Indonesia, fragile in-situ skeletal remains are frequently stabilized using consolidants such as Paraloid B-72 during excavation. While intended to secure transport and prevent fragmentation, this practice can permanently bind soil concretions to the periosteal surface, obscure subtle cortical lesions, and embed abrasive particles that further damage bone during post-excavation handling. In humid tropical cave contexts, where disease-related bone changes may be slight and easily masked, such treatments can effectively silence pathological evidence. This paper presents a conservation-focused case study from the human skeletal assemblage of Gua Harimau, South Sumatra. Extensive consolidant and soil accretions have directly impeded ongoing paleopathological research. We describe a controlled cleaning protocol combining localised solvent application and micro-mechanical reduction under magnification, designed to recover obscured cortical surfaces while maintaining structural stability. Rather than presenting conservation as a purely technical matter, this study argues that field stabilization practices fundamentally shape the kinds of health narratives that can be reconstructed. By foregrounding conservation as an active agent in knowledge production, this paper calls for minimally interventive field strategies that safeguard the long- term bioarchaeological value of human remains in tropical Southeast Asia.