ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Conservation and restoration of parchment

Okay kiddo, do you know what parchment is? It's a type of paper that was made a long, long time ago from the skins of animals like cows, goats or sheep. It was used for important things like writing letters, books, and even important religious texts.

Now, because parchment is very old, and was made from animal skins, it can start to break down over time. This means that it can become damaged, and might not last as long as it should.

But some amazing people called conservators and restorers have a really important job of making sure that parchment lasts as long as possible. They make sure that the parchment is kept in a safe place, away from things that can damage it like light or moisture.

If a piece of parchment is damaged, the conservators and restorers will use special things like glue and tiny pieces of paper to carefully fix the damage. They make sure to use materials that are similar to the original parchment, so that it doesn't cause any more damage.

Overall, the conservation and restoration of parchment is really important because it helps us keep the history and knowledge of the past safe for future generations to enjoy!