Waja

Michael A. Oyinloye
Department of Design and Architecture
Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeri
and
David A. Aremu
Department of Archaeology and Anthropology,
University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract
Conservation in the national museums arises as a need to protect cultural heritage
from destruction by man and environmental factors. Collecting and storing cultural
objects without care characterised the old methods of conservation in Nigeria’s
national museums. Existing studies have addressed the need for conservation of
wooden objects but with inadequate attention to new methods of caring coming up
on a daily basis in museums around the world. This study, therefore, examined the
types and backgrounds of cultural objects as well as methods of conservation, with
a view to determining their effects at Lagos and Oron museums, Nigeria. The study
combined William Morris’ Conservation and Malinowski’s functionalism theories.
Data were collected from documentation units of the museums as well as
purposively selected key informants. Data were analysed based on qualitative
archaeology to gain in-depth understanding of the study. Findings show that
conservation of cultural objects in Lagos and Oron national museums was
inadequate because of the use of conventional way of collecting and storing
cultural objects as well as the use of obsolete facilities. The managements of the two
museums need to adopt the new methods and facilities to improve the level of
conservation of objects.
Keywords: Methods of Conservation, Lagos and Oron National Museums and,
wooden objects.