Anna Keneally '26

My name is Anna Keneally and I am a rising Junior majoring in History of Art and English. This past summer I worked with the San Gemini Preservation Studies Program in San Gemini, Italy where I focused on the cataloging, preservation, and restoration of archeological ceramics from the Roman period. This amazing opportunity allowed me to work with professional Archaeologists and Conservators, enhancing my in-class experience with a more involved approach.

San Gemini is a small commune in the Umbria region of Italy, with historical roots to Rome and beyond. The program operates in collaboration with local and global conservation efforts to allow an accessible, holistic approach to historical artifact stewardship. The program ensures that local institutions receive the benefit of the work done, keeping the artifacts as close to home as possible.

For the first portion of the experience, I learned identification techniques relating to Roman pottery. The pieces were found at the site of Appia 39 in Rome, which is an archeological site with a close working relationship with the San Gemini Preservation Program. I then applied these identifications to over 3,000 pieces of ceramic. This was then followed with scientific field drawing, which will be used in research databases and museum collections. At the end of this section, I completed a research report, discussing the origin of the material, statistical analysis of materials, patterns discovered through identification, and potential conclusions about the site based on the objects.
In the next section, I learned conservation and restoration techniques from a practical and ethical standpoint. This was then applied to a selection of the cataloged pieces. Before working with a piece, I discussed with my supervisors the most effective, least destructive, and most reversible route for conservation. Based on this plan, I mechanically cleaned, chemically cleaned, consolidated, filled gaps, and color matched each object. This also involved meticulous documentation that will be kept with the objects as they are added into collections and databases. The most notable piece conserved was an ancient Roman sarcophagus.​

Outside of San Gemini, this experience took me to the dig site itself, where I experienced field conservation and identification, which is influenced by the object’s resting position. Excavation planning is done so that Archeologists can take the least-destructive route for each piece. Following the completion of the lab conservation section, I embarked on a conservation tour of Florence, Siena, and Rome. Through this, I was introduced to local conservators working in each city, giving insight into the working world of conservation and into the logistics of historical preservation. 

​My summer was extremely rewarding, making sure that each and every object receives the care and attention that it needs in order to inform a new generation of global citizens. Because it is not just broken pottery, it is a glimpse into past artistic traditions, geopolitical relationships, and evidence of humanity in a time where history often seems inhuman. Every single one of the 3000 pieces that I looked at are important to learning about our past and informing our future. I am simply so grateful to have been able to help care for these wonderful objects, remembering the people behind each of them and keeping them close to home.