The Ozette team developed methods for keeping excavated objects wet during the excavation process, for careful lifting and transport, and for the chemical consolidation and gradual drying that would allow the objects to be preserved in a stable condition.

The conservation work was as significant as the excavation itself.

Objects recovered from Ozette were treated at laboratory facilities and, eventually, curated with the care that their fragility required.

The scale of the challenge was enormous: hundreds of major wooden objects, thousands of smaller artifacts of wood, bone, shell, and stone, all requiring documentation, treatment, and appropriate storage conditions.

The total assemblage of more than 55,000 objects includes a wide range of materials.

The number reflects the comprehensive nature of the collection, including fragments and smaller items alongside the major intact artifacts that attracted the most attention.