Fundamental to the study and research of ancient musical instruments from archaeological excavation is their proper preservation, especially if they are not musealized and kept in storage. Precarious conditions of discovery, improper handling and often unsuitable environmental conditions cause objects undergo rapid deterioration and loss of valuable fragments.

The interdisciplinary project dealing with the musical instruments housed in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, involving archaeologists, musicologists, diagnosticians and expert restorers, has therefore also taken conservation aspects into consideration, with the production of a pilot project that, if adopted by the owning institution, will ensure the preservation of the instruments under study.

For the formulation of this project one of the instruments, the tibia n. 29589b of the “Fondo Prisco” was examined. The intervention began with careful observation of the artifact, with identification of the constituent materials; then the forms of degradation present were carefully studied, with particular attention to possible causes. Finally, a restoration project was drawn up that considered the actual conservation conditions and provided for minimally invasive interventions carried out with compatible, reversible and recognizable materials in order to stop its deterioration.

At the moment, since the project has not yet been implemented and the instrument will have to return to storage, a system to protect it from possible further alteration has also been planned, which consists of a perfectly tailored insulating case made with 3D technology, which involved the use of laser scanning and a CNC milling machine.