Stabilization of glass artifacts at the Archaeological Museum of the American University of Beirut

The collections of the American University of Beirut's archaeological museum were severely damaged by the explosion in the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020, including an exhibition case containing 74 glass objects from Roman to Islamic periods. To save this collection, the restoration team consulted preexisting photographs and sketches of the objects to sort the hundreds of glass fragments by size, material, and color, before reconstructing 12 of the artifacts piece by piece. The work was implemented by a professional glass conservator, who also provided training to the museum staff, and a student from the French Institut National du Patrimoine. The restored glass objects were exhibited at the museum to mark the first anniversary of the blast.