From October 15 to 30, 2012, the Archaeological Museum of the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (MAU) welcomed Mr. Pascal Maritaux, the Restoration Assistant Engineer at the Research Laboratory for Medieval and Modern Archaeology in the Mediterranean (LA3M) - UMR 7298 CNRS, Université d’Aix-Marseille, France. The mission included:

• Reviewing and evaluating the current status of the conservation of archaeological collections, in particular ceramic and metallic objects within the MAU;
• Examining the conservation conditions in the exhibition hall and the Museum reserves, and framing the measures of preventive conservation leading to the improvement of the latter; also the specific measures to be taken, according to the nature and condition of different categories of artifacts;
• Researching and experimenting treatments already carried out to major alterations identified on a glazed vase and three terracotta figurines.

In parallel with the examination of collections and their related issues, from October 23 to 25, 2012, the MAU has organized a workshop on the Conservation-Restoration theme, conducted by Pascal Maritaux and hosting about fifteen people. This workshop aimed at providing the necessary methodological tools to identify the needs and conservation-restoration treatments of archaeological materials. The three days focused successively on:

• The presentation of the discipline-specific history, deontology and methodology;
• The terminology of major alterations, the understanding of their origins and evaluation of the severity of their cases;
• The various measures of preventive conservation applicable to both archaeological reserves and museum collections and, lastly, the useful conservatory precautions and interventions within an excavation site.