Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T19:46:51.106Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Long View of Archaeological Collections Care, Preservation, and Management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 August 2019

Danielle M. Benden*
Affiliation:
Driftless Pathways, LLC, 411 Sauk Street, Lodi, WI 53555, USA
Mara C. Taft
Affiliation:
Science Museum of Minnesota, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, MN 55102, USA
*
([email protected], corresponding author)

Abstract

Collections care practices have become professionalized in the last 30 years, in large part because of the work of organizations such as the American Alliance of Museums, the Canadian Conservation Institute, the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, the American Institute for Conservation, and others in the museum sphere. Advances in preservation and management have benefited the discipline of archaeology in the field and laboratory. This thematic issue provides an updated perspective on the current happenings in the repository, highlighting innovative techniques and practices that collections specialists employ when managing the archaeological record. This article considers a macroview of the issues surrounding archaeological curation today and ponders what the future of collections preservation can and should look like.

Las prácticas de cuidado de colecciones se han profesionalizado en los últimos treinta años, en gran parte gracias a organizaciones como la Alianza Americana de Museos, el Instituto Canadiense de Conservación, la Sociedad para la Conservación de Colecciones de Historia Natural, el Instituto Americano de Conservación y otros en las esferas museísticas. Los avances en conservación y manejo han beneficiado a la disciplina de la arqueología en el campo y el laboratorio. Este número temático proporciona una perspectiva actualizada sobre las prácticas actuales en el repositorio. Destaca las técnicas innovadoras que emplean los especialistas en colecciones al gestionar el registro arqueológico y enfatiza las maneras en que el personal del repositorio puede ayudar a los arqueólogos a cumplir con sus responsabilidades con las colecciones que generan, analizan e interpretan. Este artículo considera una visión macro de la conservación arqueológica actualmente y reflexiona sobre cómo puede y debe ser el futuro de la conservación de colecciones.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright 2019 © Society for American Archaeology 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES CITED

AAM (American Alliance of Museums) 2019 Accreditation. Electronic document, https://www.aam-us.org/programs/accreditation-excellence-programs/accreditation/, accessed February 12, 2019.Google Scholar
Archaeological Collections Consortium 2016 Building Common Ground on Collections: An Initial Glossary of Collections- Related Terminology. SAA Archaeological Record 16(1):4143.Google Scholar
Bachmann, Konstanze 1992 Conservation Concerns: A Guide for Collectors and Curators. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Baerreis, David A. 1963 Teaching Techniques. In The Teaching of Anthropology, edited by Mandelbaum, David G., Lasker, Gabriel W., and Albert, Ethel M., pp. 247252. Memoir 94. American Anthropological Association, Washington, DC; University of California Press, Berkeley.Google Scholar
Bauer-Clapp, Heidi, and Kirakosian, Katie 2017 For the Record: Archaeological Archives in the Twenty-First Century. Advances in Archaeological Practice 5:220304.Google Scholar
Benden, Danielle M. 2019 Integrating Curation Training in Academic Programs and Beyond. In Using and Curating Archaeological Collections, edited by Terry Childs, S. and Warner, Mark S., pp. 3951. SAA Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Buck, Rebecca A., and Gilmore, Jean Allman 2010 Museum Registration Methods. 5th ed. AAM Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Bustard, Wendy 2000 Archeological Curation in the 21st Century: Or, Making Sure the Roof Doesn't Blow Off. CRM 23(5):1015.Google Scholar
Childs, S. Terry 1995 Curation Crisis—What's Being Done? Federal Archeology 7(4):1115.Google Scholar
Childs, S. Terry 2006 Archaeological Collections: Valuing and Managing an Emerging Frontier. In Of the Past, for the Future: Integrating Archaeology and Conservation, edited by Agnew, Neville and Bridgland, Janet, pp. 204210. Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
Childs, S. Terry 2010 The Dollars and Sense of Managing Archaeological Collections. Heritage Management 3:155165.Google Scholar
Childs, S. Terry 2011 Archaeological Collections Management in the United States: Developing a Path to Sustainability. In Caring for Our Collections: Papers from the Symposium: Developing Sustainable, Strategic Collection Management Approaches for Archaeological Assemblages, edited by Smith, Charlotte H. F. and Murray, Tim, pp. 1936. Museum Victoria Publishing, Melbourne, Australia.Google Scholar
Childs, S. Terry (editor) 2004 Our Collective Responsibility: The Ethics and Practice of Archaeological Collections Stewardship. SAA Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Childs, S. Terry, and Benden, Danielle M. 2017 A Checklist for Sustainable Management of Archaeological Collections. Advances in Archaeological Practice 5:1225.Google Scholar
Childs, S. Terry, and Corcoran, Eileen 2000 Managing Archeological Collections: Technical Assistance. National Park Service. Electronic document, https://www.nps.gov/archeology/collections/, accessed February 12, 2019.Google Scholar
Childs, S. Terry, and Warner, Mark S. (editors) 2019 Using and Curating Archaeological Collections. SAA Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
EiteljorgHarrison, II Harrison, II 2004 Archiving Digital Archaeological Records. In Our Collective Responsibility: The Ethics and Practice of Archaeological Collections Stewardship, edited by Terry Childs, S., pp. 6773. SAA Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Emerson, Patricia, and Hoffman, Nancy 2019 Technical, Political, and Social Issues in Archaeological Collections Data Management. Advances in Archaeological Practice 7(3). DOI:10.1017/aap.2019.19.Google Scholar
Ford, Richard I. 1977 Systematic Research Collections in Anthropology: An Irreplaceable National Resource. Peabody Museum, Harvard University for the Council for Museum Anthropology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.Google Scholar
GAO (General Accounting Office) 1987 Problems Protecting and Preserving Federal Archeological Resources. RCED-88-3. General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Electronic document, https://www.gao.gov/assets/150/145926.pdf, accessed May 23, 2019.Google Scholar
Goff, Sheila, Chapoose, Betsy, Cook, Elizabeth, and Voirol, Shannon 2019 Collaborating beyond Collections: Engaging Tribes in Museum Exhibits. Advances in Archaeological Practice 7(3). DOI:10.1017/aap.2019.11.Google Scholar
Hansen, John 2019 Cutting Edge and Cutting Corners: Evolving Technology, Expanding Usership, and Responsive Solutions in a Museum Database. Advances in Archaeological Practice 7(3). DOI:10.1017/aap.2019.20.Google Scholar
Hatchfield, Pamela B. 2007 Pollutants in the Museum Environment: Practical Strategies for Problem Solving in Design, Exhibition, and Storage. Archetype, London.Google Scholar
Heritage Preservation Inc. 2005 A Public Trust at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America's Collections. Heritage Preservation, Washington, DC. Electronic document, https://www.culturalheritage.org/docs/default-source/hhi/hhisummary.pdf?sfvrsn=2, accessed May 23, 2019.Google Scholar
Jenks, Kelly L. 2014 Teaching Students about Stewardship: Current Concerns and Approaches. SAA Archaeological Record 14(1):3335.Google Scholar
King, Julia A. 2009 The Challenges of Dissemination: Accessing Archaeological Data and Interpretations. In Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management: Visions for the Future, edited by Sebastian, Lynne and Lipe, William D., pp.141167. SAR Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico.Google Scholar
King, Julia A. 2016 Comparative Colonialism and Collections-Based Archaeological Research: Dig Less, Catalog More. Museum Worlds: Advances in Research 4:417.Google Scholar
King, Julia A., and Samford, Patricia 2019 Making Archaeological Collections Available for Research: Recommendations for Repositories. Advances in Archaeological Practice 7(3). DOI:10.1017/aap.2019.27.Google Scholar
Kintigh, Keith W., and Altschul, Jeffrey H. 2010 Sustaining the Digital Archaeological Record. Heritage Management 3:264274.Google Scholar
Knoll, Michelle K., and Carver-Kubik, A. 2019 In-Field Digital Photography and the Curation of Associated Records: Not All Prints Are Created Equal. Advances in Archaeological Practice 7(3). DOI:10.1017/aap.2019.17.Google Scholar
Lindsay, Alexander J. Jr., Williams-Dean, Glenna, and Haas, Jonathan 1979 The Curation and Management of Archaeological Collections: A Pilot Study. Publication PB-296. National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia.Google Scholar
Lindsay, Alexander J. Jr., Williams-Dean, Glenna, and Haas, Jonathan 1980 The Curation and Management of Archaeological Collections: A Pilot Study. Cultural Resource Management Series. U.S. Department of the Interior, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Lipe, William 1974 A Conservation Model for American Archaeology. Kiva 39:213245.Google Scholar
Lynott, Mark 1997 Ethical Principles and Archaeological Practice: Development of an Ethics Policy. American Antiquity 62:589599.Google Scholar
Lyons, Patrick D., Terry Childs, S., Sullivan, Lynne P., Trimble, Michael K., and Whittington, Stephen L. 2012 NSF/SBE White Paper: The Scientific Strategy of Conserving and Researching Existing Anthropological Museum Collections. Electronic document, https://www.nsf.gov/sbe/sbe_2020/2020_pdfs/Lyons_Patrick_271.pdf, accessed February 12, 2019.Google Scholar
Majewski, Teresita 2009 Lessons for Historical Archaeology from the Career of W. Raymond Wood. Plains Anthropologist 54:113119.Google Scholar
Majewski, Teresita 2010 Not Just the End Game Anymore: A Perspective from the Western United States on Proactive Budgeting for Project Curation Needs in a Changing Archaeological World. Heritage Management 3:167188.Google Scholar
Majewski, Teresita 2019 Best Practices for Collections Management Planning. In Using and Curating Archaeological Collections, edited by Terry Childs, S. and Warner, Mark S., pp. 6777. SAA Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Malaro, Marie C., and DeAngelis, Ildiko P. 2012 A Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collections. 3rd ed. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Marquardt, William H. 1977 Regional Centers in Archaeology: Prospects and Problems. Research Series No. 14. Missouri Archaeological Society, Columbia.Google Scholar
Marquardt, William H., Montet-White, Anta, and Scholtz, Sandra C. 1982 Resolving the Crisis in Archaeological Collections Curation. American Antiquity 47:409418.Google Scholar
Meister, Nicolette B. 2019 A Guide to the Preventive Care of Archaeological Collections. Advances in Archaeological Practice 7(3). DOI:10.1017/aap.2019.7.Google Scholar
Merriman, Nick, and Swain, Hedley 1999 Archaeological Archives: Serving the Public Interest? European Journal of Archaeology 2:249267.Google Scholar
Milanich, Jerald T. 2005 Letter from Arizona: Homeless Collections. Archaeology Magazine 58(6):5764.Google Scholar
Nielsen-Grimm, Glenna, and Haynie, Robyn 2019 Care of Archaeological Materials Begins in the Field. Advances in Archaeological Practice 7(3). DOI:10.1017/aap.2019.18.Google Scholar
Odegaard, Nancy 2019 Pesticide Contamination and Archaeological Collections: Contextual Information for Preparing a Pesticide History. Advances in Archaeological Practice 7(3). DOI:10.1017/aap.2019.28.Google Scholar
Odegaard, Nancy, Sadongei, Alyce, and Associates 2005 Old Poisons, New Problems: A Museum Resource for Managing Contaminated Cultural Collections. AltaMira Press, Walnut Creek, California.Google Scholar
Richards, Julian D. 2017 Twenty Years Preserving Data: A View from the United Kingdom. Advances in Archaeological Practice 5:227237.Google Scholar
Rose, Carolyn L., Hawks, Catherine A., and Genoways, Hugh H. (editors) 2009 Storage of Natural History Collections: A Preventive Conservation Approach. 4th ed. Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, New York.Google Scholar
RPA (Register of Professional Archaeologists) 2019 The Register's Codes and Standards. Electronic document, https://rpanet.org/rpa-code-and-standards/, accessed February 12, 2019.Google Scholar
SAA (Society for American Archaeology) 2019a Past Online Seminars. Electronic document, https://www.saa.org/career-practice/online-seminars/past-seminars, accessed February 12, 2019.Google Scholar
SAA (Society for American Archaeology) 2019b Principles of Archaeological Ethics. Electronic document, https://www.saa.org/career-practice/ethics-in-professional-archaeology, accessed February 12, 2019.Google Scholar
SAA (Society for American Archaeology) 2019c Seven Principles for Teaching Archaeology in the Twenty-First Century. Electronic document, https://www.saa.org/education-outreach/teaching-archaeology/post-secondary-resources, accessed February 12, 2019.Google Scholar
Schiappacasse, Paola A. 2019 Excavating Repositories: Academic Research Projects Using Archaeological Collections. Advances in Archaeological Practice 7(3). DOI:10.1017/aap.2019.26.Google Scholar
Schlanger, Sarah, Wilshusen, Richard, and Roberts, Heidi 2015 From Mining Sites to Mining Data: Archaeology's Future. Kiva 81:8099.Google Scholar
Sonderman, Elanor Marie 2018 Re-Analysis of Conejo Shelter: A Legacy Archaeological Collection from the Amistad Reservoir Area, Texas. PhD dissertation, Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M, College Station.Google Scholar
Sonderman, Robert C. 2004 Before You Start That Project, Do You Know What to Do with the Collection? In Our Collective Responsibility: The Ethics and Practice of Archaeological Collections Stewardship, edited by Terry Childs, S., pp. 107120. SAA Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Sullivan, Lynne P., and Terry Childs, S. 2003 Curating Archaeological Collections: From the Field to the Repository. Archaeologist's Toolkit Vol. 6. AltaMira Press, Walnut Creek, California.Google Scholar
Sullivan, Lynne P., and Terry Childs, S. 2019 Being a Curator: Revisiting the Curation of Archaeological Collections from the Field to the Repository. In Using and Curating Archaeological Collections, edited by Terry Childs, S. and Warner, Mark S., pp. 7989. SAA Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Thompson, Amanda D. Roberts, Thompson, Victor D., Kappers, Michiel, Schenk, Kristine, and Williams, Mark 2019 Long-Term Legacies and Their Challenges in the Age of Modern Curation at the University of Georgia. Advances in Archaeological Practice 7(3). DOI:10.1017/aap.2019.16.Google Scholar
Thompson, Raymond, H. 2000 The Crisis in Archaeological Collection Management. CRM 23(5):46.Google Scholar
Trimble, Michael K., and Meyers, Thomas B. 1991 Saving the Past from the Future: Archaeological Curation in the St. Louis District. U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, St. Louis District, St. Louis, Missouri.Google Scholar
Vogt-O'Connor, Diane 1999 Archives at the Millennium. CRM 22(2):3.Google Scholar
Voss, Barbara L. 2012 Curation as Research: A Case Study in Orphaned and Underreported Archaeological Collections. Archaeological Dialogues 19:145169.Google Scholar
Witze, Alexandra 2019 Disappearing Digital Data. American Archaeology 22(1):4045.Google Scholar