Tarbevarade

Tarbevarade is a Swedish term found in historical and archaeological writings to describe objects that have been preserved in tar. The word is a compound of tar, the sticky petroleum distillate used for waterproofing, and bevarade, meaning preserved. In medieval and early modern Northern Europe, tar was applied to timber, ropes, and other organic materials to extend their life. Artifacts recovered from sites where tar was used often exhibit preservation of organic matter in tar matrices, which can yield insights into construction methods, trade, and daily life.

Tar preservation is well known from shipyards, harbor sites, and timber installations; tar-impregnated timbers may survive where waterlogged wood would not. In archaeology, tar can protect features and provide residues for chemical analysis, though tar can alter the state of wood and produce interpretation challenges.

The term tarbevarade is most often encountered in historical Swedish sources, and in translations discussing preservation techniques. It is not widely used in contemporary conservation terminology, where more general terms like tar-preserved artifacts or tar-treated materials are common.

See also: tar, preservation, archaeology.