One of the central tasks of the Bavarian State Archaeological Collection is to prevent finds from deteriorating and to prepare them for academic investigations or museum presentation. The State Collection also carries out authenticity tests on artefacts whose age or character is unclear. The Archaeological Conservation department, the largest facility of its kind in southern Germany, works in material-specific studios on Oettingenstraße in Munich. Basic materials research into the properties of prehistoric and early historical materials and current methods of conserving and restoring archaeological finds are part of the remit of a team of around a dozen conservators.