Collections
Management
The long-term fate of archeological collections is not a topic
most people think of when considering the activities that archeologists
carry out, and for a long time, neither did archeologists. Archeologists
have traditionally held primary interest in the immediate research,
interpretation and management needs that spurred field investigation
in the first place. However, collections generated during a
given project can be useful for future research needs as well.
This is especially important in light of the knowledge that
the archeological record is a non-renewable resource; once an
artifact or site is excavated or otherwise removed from its
context, most information is lost and cannot be regenerated.
All that remains for learning about the past is contained in
the artifacts themselves and the careful field notes, maps and
photos taken by archeologists during excavation. As the record
of the past is degraded by development, agriculture and other
modern activity preservation of existing collections only gains
in importance.
The MWAC Collections Management
Program takes care of archeological collections, including
artifacts and documents generated during field and laboratory
work, for over 50 NPS units. This potentially overwhelming
task involves a backlog of work with older existing collections,
as well as ongoing activities all conducted in cooperation
with individual parks. The enclosed pages include details
about the nature and range of these activities as well as
some of the parks with which MWAC has worked.
Collections
Links
The National Park Service Museum Handbook, which sets the
standards for work with NPS collections, is available online
at
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/handbook.html
The National Park Service's Conserve O Gram Series of Technical
Leaflets, covering a wide variety of museum topics from storage
techniques to health and safety issues, is available at
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html
An excellent online technical manual on Managing Archeological
Collections has been produced by the National Park Service's
Archeology and Ethnography Program and can be found at
http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/collections/index.htm
The National Park Service's Archeology and Ethnography Program
provides articles and technical assistance about caring for
archeological collections at
http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/SITES/curation.htm
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