The document discusses the Timbuktu Manuscripts Project which aims to preserve Africa's manuscript heritage. It describes Timbuktu's history as a center of learning and trade for manuscripts. The manuscripts are held privately and have been threatened by Timbuktu's hot and dry climate as well as insect damage, improper storage, and handling. The project focuses on training local Malians in conservation techniques suitable for the environment like protective enclosures and repairing covers to preserve this important cultural heritage.

1. Timbuktu Manuscripts Project
Lessons in understanding and preserving
Africa’s manuscript heritage

2. Timbuktu | a place of history and myth

3. Timbuktu’s manuscripts
“… hither are
brought divers
manuscripts or
written books out
of Barbary, which
are sold for more
money than any
other
merchandise.”
- Leo Africanus,
16th century traveller.

4. Timbuktu’s private libraries and
manuscript collections
Timbuktu’s manuscripts have
traditionally been held by
private individuals or families.
This remains so the case even
today, with the overwhelming
number held in private
collections.
Only relatively recently in
Timbuktu’s history, have
manuscripts begun to be
collected by government
institutions.

5. Timbuktu | geography and climate
Timbuktu is located
on the edge of the
Sahara desert, known
as the Sahel. The city
is at the northern-
most bend of the
River Niger.
For the most part the
climate is very hot
and arid. There are
periods of intense
cold, especially during
the winter nights.
Rain occurs
infrequently.

6. Timbuktu’s climate | dry and arid conditions
Hot and dry conditions cause
an acceleration of the natural
degradation of paper and
leather.
Hot and dry conditions
exacerbate the impact and
nature of damage to
manuscripts.
The effects of the extreme
climate impact significantly on
the condition of the
manuscripts.

7. Timbuktu’s climate | dry and arid conditions
The lack of humidity affects the
manuscripts, leading to the
embrittlement of paper.
Paper becomes less flexible and
prone to progressive damage and
loss through “chipping”.
Chipping results from a
combination of a lack of humidity
and mechanical damage through
use and handling of the
manuscripts.
Sand, dust and dirt are
everywhere

8. Timbuktu’s climate | dry and arid conditions
The lack of humidity
(below 30 %) also causes
the covering materials to
dry out.
Covers begin to deteriorate
in the adverse conditions,
and, eventually to cause
damage to the contents.

9. Timbuktu’s climate | dry and arid conditions
Manuscript covers are
also damaged by the
adverse conditions.
Due to the harsh
climate, many
manuscript covers
have become so
damaged that they no
longer can perform
their protective
function.

10. Timbuktu’s climate | water damage
Despite the arid and hot
climate, most manuscripts
have evidence of water
damage.
Short periods of high
humidity occur during
infrequent spells of rain,
placing yet more strain on
the manuscripts.
Occasionally, some a
manuscript will show
evidence of staining
associated with mould
growth.

11. Conservation challenges| ink corrosion
Ink corrosion has been
observed in manuscripts.
It was the practice of
scribes and scholars to
make up their own ink,
therefore, the recipes
used on each manuscript
is likely to vary with
regard to the corrosive
elements within the ink.

12. Conservation challenges| damaged covers
Covers that have ceased
to perform their
protective functions pose
a conservation challenge.
Ethical conservation
treatment requires the
respect of the context
of the manuscript, it
has a history. – means
keeping all items.

13. Conservation challenges| insect activity
Termites cause immense harm
to manuscripts. Severe damage
can only become evident, once
manuscripts covers are opened.

14. Conservation challenges| handling and storage
Historically, the portability of
manuscripts seems to have been
an important factor. Populations
were either seasonally or
permanently mobile.
Manuscripts were also traded
over great distances over time.
Manuscripts are often kept in
trunks, even if kept in a dwelling.
Fragile paper is easily damaged
further by handling, often
inappropriate to the condition of
the paper and manuscript.

15. Conservation challenges| inappropriate
conservation methods and training
Sustainability was an important
factor in the design of the
conservation project.
Emphasis was placed on training
Malians in order to provide a pool
of skilled people, able to continue
conservation work independently
to ensure conservation activities
continued.
Additionally, to devise and teach
methods appropriate to the
climate and conditions found in
Timbuktu in collaboration with the
Malian counterparts.

16. Conservation challenges| sustainable
conservation practises for Timbuktu
Conservation methods and practices
introduced to Timbuktu had to be
sustainable and appropriate to the
environment and recourses available.
Most pressing preservation and
conservation repair issues were
identified and worked on during
successive visits and field work visits by
the conservation team.
Previous attempts at conservation had
not succeeded, in part, a lack of follow-
up and support for the conservation
work; as well as, a disregard for the
circumstances found in Timbuktu.

17. Conservation challenges| sustainable
conservation practises for Timbuktu
Surface cleaning, with appropriate
techniques and tools.
Ditching white cotton gloves
provided by a previous
conservation project.
Protective enclosures for
individual manuscripts.
All conservation practices had to
be evaluated for their
appropriateness and due regard
for conservation treatment ethics.

18. Conservation practises| protective enclosures
A range of protective enclosures can
be used to provide protection for
manuscripts.
Enclosures are made from high-
quality board and book-binder’s
cloth.
Each protective box or portfolio is
made to the dimensions of an
individual manuscript.
Standard protective enclosures can
be modified to create more suitable
protective environments for
individual manuscripts.

19. Conservation practises| surface cleaning
The presence of surface dirt was
identified as one of the most basic
challenges that had to be dealt
with.
Surface cleaning techniques
appropriate to the very fragile and
brittle paper were taught.
Some adaptations of the standard
surface cleaning methods were
created. A tray with very high walls
was built to work in (pictured), as
the breeze from the open windows
(needed for ventilation) tended to
scatter the very light paper.

20. Conservation practises| replacement covers
Separation of severely damaged
covers from manuscript
contents.
Construction of new
conservation replacement cover,
within the style and construction
of West African Islamic
manuscripts. Using locally
sourced goat leather, with
archival grade board and paper.
Housing all elements together in
a single protective enclosure -
nothing is discarded.

21. Conservation practises| supportive pillows for
covers
Covers separated from their
contents require support in order
to maintain their shape over time.
Support is provided by means of
an internal pillow made to the
dimensions of the individual cover.
Additional protection for the cover
is provided by means of a quilted
cover.
The supportive pillow remains in
place, if the cover is put on display.

22. Conservation practises| supportive pillows for
manuscript satchels
Support pillows were
also made for
manuscript pouches that
could no longer house
the manuscripts.
The supportive pillows
would remain in place,
even when the item was
put on display.

23. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | a distinct
tradition
West African Islamic
manuscripts and their
making remain
relatively under studied,
compared to other
manuscript traditions.
West African Islamic
manuscripts appear to
constitute a distinct
tradition within the
wider pan Islamic
manuscript tradition.

24. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | part of a distinct
regional tradition
Manuscript satchel or pouch
for an incomplete copy of a
Quran in the Ahmed Baba’s
collection.

25. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | a distinct
tradition
Pouches not only
physically protected
the Quran from actual
physical damage; but
also protected the
sacred work from
pollution through
contact with polluting
agents that could
damage the ritual
purity of the scared
text.

26. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | a distinct
tradition
Manuscript covers conformed
to general Islamic manuscript
structure and aesthetic; with
characteristics associated with
West African Islamic
manuscript composition,
namely the use of ties to bind
the manuscript when closed.

27. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | a distinct
tradition
Manuscript cover open,
showing the distinctive
shape of Islamic
manuscript covers

28. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | evidence of
human agency in the making of a mss
Mastara made from
leather and string,
found at the start of
a manuscript.
Mastara are guides
used by scribes to
rule pages before
writing.

29. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | evidence of
human agency in the making of a mss
Paper was placed over the
mastara and rubbed down
to create lines that
appeared as furrowed
indentations in the paper.
Mastara lines vary in
complexity between
manuscripts.

30. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | evidence of
human agency in the making of a mss
Repairs to torn paper were
sewn with thread.
These types of repairs were
not often found.

31. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | evidence of
human agency in the making of a mss
Evidence of sewing was rare.
The arid climate and brittleness
of the paper probably
contributed toward the
breakage and loss of sewing
structures that did exist.
No surviving sewing structures
encountered in manuscripts of
West African tradition.

32. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | textile
Textiles were used to construct
manuscripts.
Woven textile strips of cotton,
were adhered and stiffened to
create boards for the
manuscript cover.

33. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | reused paper
Reuse of waste or discarded
materials.

34. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | watermarked
paper
Many pages from the manuscripts
pages show watermarks, laid and
chain lines consistent with hand
made European-manufactured
paper.
Extensive trade networks that
served Timbuktu saw paper
imported from Europe reaching
Timbuktu. Paper was imported in
the form of written manuscripts, as
well as blank paper.
Modern, mechanically produced
paper is also present.

35. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | watermarked
paper
Watermarks are still a bit of a
curiosity. They cannot help to
identify when paper was made
or by whom, beyond very broad
outlines.
Watermarks helped during the
conservation process. Allowing
the conservator team to find
evidence that the now separate
pages were, at one time folios,
and to recreate the sequence of
folios into quires.

36. The manuscripts of Timbuktu | watermarked
paper
Watermarks are also a
potential conservation issue.
Paper fibres of some
watermarks are so thinly
spread over the image that
certain parts of the paper
could be lost .

37. Indigenous craft and manufacturing knowledge|
leather work
Two of the Malian conservator-
trainees were skilled leather goods
makers.
Using locally manufactured leather
would support the local economy
and ease the complicated
procurement process.
Also an opportunity for the other
Malian and South African team
members to acquire an
understanding of traditional leather
working skills.

38. Indigenous craft and manufacturing knowledge|
leather work
Women from the Bella tribe preparing
the skin for tanning by de-hairing the
skin, prior to actual tanning.

39. Indigenous craft and manufacturing knowledge|
leather work
Skins were washed to remove
any residue from the tanning
process.

40. Indigenous craft and manufacturing knowledge|
leather work
Excess water scraped from the
skins after washing.
Oil (machine oil) was sparingly
applied to the skin.
The skins were left overnight to
dry.

41. Indigenous craft and manufacturing knowledge|
leather work
Dried skins are prepared for
being used to cover a
manuscript.
Skin is being burnished to
flatten the grain, seal the skin
surface and polish the leather.
Any use of dyes or pigments
would have to be done before
burnishing.

42. Indigenous craft and manufacturing knowledge|
leather work
After the leather’s
burnishing, the leather was
pared down to create a more
flexible skin that allowed for
the opening and closing of
cover.

43. Beyond Timbuktu| West African Islamic
manuscript tradition
Despite the romance associated with
Timbuktu's manuscripts, there is a
much wider manuscript tradition,
deserves study.
The whole Sudanic region of Africa
has been described as being “awash”
with manuscripts. The race is on to
catalogue and translate the contents.
However, the manuscript-making
tradition also needs to be
understood. It has regional variations
and adaptations that point to a rich
and deep tradition that deserves
concerted study and much wider
recognition than it currently seems to
enjoy.

44. Beyond Timbuktu| West African Islamic
manuscript tradition
There is progress, academic research
understands the importance of
understanding the manuscript
culture. The work awaiting is vast in
scope and quantity.
So much more needs to be
understood about distinctive local
traditions, how the syncretic
incorporation of more modern
materials.
There is a sense of a race against time
before yet more manuscripts are lost
to disaster and theft. In the hurry to
salvage what is still available, aspects
of the manuscripts may be over
looked.

45. Thank you