Preventive Conservation: a Key Method to Ensure Cultural Heritage’s Authenticity and Integrity in Preservation Process

Abstract

This article studies the role of preventive conservation in cultural heritage preservation. It shows through cultural heritage theory and conservation professions development process how important part preventive conservation has had and still has in cultural heritage preservation and damage prevention. Preventive conservation is a multidisciplinary orientation that uses indirect measures and actions to avoid or to minimize future deterioration or loss of cultural heritage. Conservation professionals should recognize its importance as the most effective method in promoting the long-term preservation of cultural heritage. Therefore, preventive conservation should be the basic theoretical perspective in all cultural heritage preservation. It can and ought to be used in the entire field of cultural heritage and maintenance work because it considers all the circumstances that may cause deterioration of cultural heritage. Additionally, it is the key method of ensuring that cultural heritage is preserved as authentically as possible through cultural heritage management and care.