AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

The word traditional implies immutable, unbroken, or even stagnant. However, traditional methods of caring for cultural heritage can instead be culturally conscious, sustainable, and practical. The practice of using naturally insect-repellent plants to preserve cultural material was not developed for the Conservation of museum collections, but rather to care for items of personal value. Plants that naturally kill or repel insects, or botanical pesticides, have been used by communities throughout the world for centuries to protect valued belongings, including cultural items, from insect damage. Time-tested tools for pest management that utilize locally available plants are part of the shared, intergenerational wisdom, or traditional knowledge, of communities. Traditional knowledge is not static, but ever-evolving as new observations are made and stewards respond to changes in the environment, its resources, and adapt their knowledge to suit evolving needs. One recent adaptation of traditional pest management practices is their application in the preventive care of museum collections. Today, staff at museums in India have adapted the traditional practice of storing dried neem leaves with cultural items, primarily textiles, to keep insects that can feed on these materials safely at bay.

This presentation will describe the traditional methods of pest management that are presently used at museums in Rajasthan, a state in Northwest India, with particular focus on neem. The neem tree (Azadirachta indica) is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, where its pesticidal properties have been understood and utilized for centuries. All parts of the neem tree contain the active ingredient Azadirachtin, a limonoid or antifeedant and insect growth regulator. Unlike other botanical pesticides that are used in pest management, neem leaves are collected from abundant local trees and prepared on-site to be stored with collections, a process that requires no purchasing, packaging, transportation, or energy-consumptive preparation, making it a sustainable and resource-efficient pest management tool. Conversations with staff at museums in India in January and February 2023 informed further research about the effectiveness of neem on museum pests and the effects of neem on collections, including experiments to assess how exposure to neem affects the eating habits of Varied Carpet Beetles, Oddy Testing, and artificial aging experiments.

This research is a direct response to the need for increased accessibility and sustainable practice in Conservation that can be met by promoting preventive care and giving due consideration to traditional methods of caring for cultural heritage. Looking to traditional knowledge for pest management strategies that are locally available and culturally relevant meets the needs of stewards and contributes to a shift in the field of Conservation toward more inclusive and sustainable practice.