This volume contains written versions of presentations given at a two-day meeting entitled 'Holding it all together: ancient and modern approaches to joining, repair and consolidation.' This topic was deliberately chosen to be wide ranging; in an era of escalating specialisation, it is felt that there are increasingly few opportunities for a wide range of professionals with an interest in the conservation and technical study of the cultural heritage to come together. The papers are divided into three groups: ancient and traditional joins and repairs, modern joins and repairs and case studies on subjects as diverse as the Caergwrle bowl, a Bronze Age shale bowl apparently depicting a boat, and the types of conservation materials used in early twentieth century Mexico.