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Latest News
Summer 2025-26 Conservation Season March 4, 2026 - Ross Sea（https://nzaht.org/category/news-story/inspiring-explorers/ross-sea/）, Conserve（https://nzaht.org/category/conserve/）, Hillary's Hut（https://nzaht.org/category/conserve/hillarys-hut/）, News Story（https://nzaht.org/category/news-story/）, Newsletters（https://nzaht.org/category/news-story/newsletters/）, Scott's Hut, Cape Evans（https://nzaht.org/category/conserve/scotts-hut-cape-evans/）, Scott's Hut, Hut Point（https://nzaht.org/category/conserve/scotts-hut-hut-point/）, Shackleton's Hut（https://nzaht.org/category/conserve/shackletons-hut/）
At Cape Evans, the 2025-26 Conservation team use the tools of their trade to send a message of thanks to the generous donors who enable the Trust’s work protecting Antarctica’s important cultural heritage. © AHT/Zack Bennett
This season saw two teams of conservation specialists deploy to the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica to undertake critical work programmes at the historic huts of Scott, Shackleton, Borchgrevink, and Hillary. The season included exciting finds, site mapping, and a deep dive into the way each hut’s construction is affected by the local environment.
Archaeology
It was a team effort at Cape Evans, the site of Scott’s Terra Nova hut, to support the Trust’s archaeology programme during the second of two planned seasons.
A key priority was excavating to record cultural material in areas along the shoreline, where it is increasingly at risk of being washed away. Some material was further assessed for conservation and collection, including a pony blanket that had slowly surfaced from the frozen ground over many years and had become vulnerable as seals frequently move through this area.
“The pony blanket was hand-quilted and still held pony hair, which holds future interest for researchers as well as making it obvious what this textile was for. Treatment involved ensuring the hair remained in place, and stabilising the stitching, before re-locating it inside the stables,” said Artefact Coordinator Shannah Rhynard-Geil.
Archaeologist Emma St Pierre (left) and Artefact Coordinator Shannah Rhynard-Geil (right) excavate a pony blanket. © AHT/Margot Murray
Photographic developers used by Herbert Ponting, photographer on the British Antarctic Terra Nova Expedition (1910-1913) were also excavated.
The team then completed the most detailed heritage survey of the hut environment to date. Using new differential GPS technology, they mapped the broader cultural landscape and built a spatial data set supported by comprehensive photographic and written documentation.
Archaeologist Emma St Pierre says the team also set up a new monitoring programme for items most at risk, particularly those with high levels of organic material.
“Establishing these monitoring sites gives us a crucial baseline for understanding how environmental change is influencing the broader cultural heritage around the huts. The environment surrounding these huts is central to what makes this place so extraordinary. The extent of cultural material here and the level of preservation is remarkable,” said Emma.
Unearthing a Link to Scott’s Expedition
One of the most remarkable discoveries from the archaeology survey at Cape Evans emerged when Archaeologist Emma St Pierre uncovered a ski pole with hand carved initials on them, belonging to Patrick Keohane, a Petty Officer on Scott’s Terra Nova expedition.
“Finding this ski pole was the highlight of my season on the Ice. It is rare to uncover an item that can be directly linked to an individual, so this felt incredibly special. To find it amongst all the bamboo scattered around the site was a real moment. Thinking that this pole may have been used during Scott’s journey to the Pole is both exciting and deeply meaningful,” said Emma.
The ski pole discovered this season belonging to Patrick Keohane, with the initials PK visible. © AHT/Zack Bennett
Patrick Keohane was one of several Irishmen selected by Captain Robert Falcon Scott for the British Antarctic Terra Nova expedition (1910-1913), and one of 15 men chosen to set out with Scott from their Cape Evans base on the 900-mile journey to the South Pole.
Keohane initially assisted with the ponies before moving into the man hauling sled teams once the ponies had been put down. Although disappointed to be turned back 350 miles short of the Pole, this decision ultimately saved his life, as the small polar party that continued sadly never returned. Keohane later joined the search party that found the bodies of Scott, Dr Edward Wilson and Lieutenant Henry Bowers in their tent.
Keohane’s ski pole has been stabilised for interim storage and will be scheduled for conservation work in the upcoming season.
Looking Deeper
Structural investigations and building health assessments at Shackleton’s Nimrod hut at Cape Royds and Scott’s Terra Nova hut at Cape Evans helped the team understand how each structure is responding to the environment and where targeted intervention may be needed. A small camera probe allowed conservators to see inside the walls, enabling them to plan for future works to roof and walls.
At Cape Evans, the programme included conditioning the stables roof with a protective bitumen layer to strengthen the cladding and improve its durability. Inside the stables, stabilisation mats were installed to reduce gravel movement and airborne dust created by foot traffic, to reduce the impact of dust-exacerbated mould and corrosion.
At Hillary’s TAE/IGY hut several artefacts were repatriated to the hut after being donated to the Trust, including a map, clothing, bags, tents and food tins.
Regular annual monitoring continued at all sites, further strengthening the Trust’s long running data set.
Heritage Carpenter Martin Herrmann investigates the building at Shackleton’s Nimrod hut. © AHT/Zack Bennett
Heritage Manager Lizzie Meek and Artefact Programme Coordinator Shannah Rhynard-Geil inside Shackleton's 'Nimrod' hut at Cape Royds. © AHT/Lizzie Meek
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