MWAC Collections

The Midwest Archeological Center curates archeological collections for 45 Midwest Region parks and 11 Intermountain Region parks. These collections typically consist of artifacts and other material remains of past human occupation in present-day park areas that were recovered during the course of archeological fieldwork, together with associated primary documentation in the form of field and laboratory records, photographs, maps, reports, and magnetic media. These collections include approximately 3,175,000 artifacts and archival documents.

As “museum property”, all collections must be documented, protected, and preserved in accordance with NPS standards, federal regulations, and federal legislative mandates. A wide range of activities is performed by the Center’s Archeological Collections Management Team to ensure proper museum property care and management. Those activities include the following:

• Museum property accessioning and documentation
• Object Cataloging
• Management of the repository facility including environmental monitoring and control, integrated pest management, fire and security protection, and housekeeping
• Coordination with the Center archeological staff regarding field conservation, laboratory handling and processing of artifact collections, and laboratory safety
• Artifact condition assessments
• Arranging for conservation treatment of artifacts
• Accountability inspections
• Tracking of outgoing loans for artifact analysis
• Response to park, support office, and Washington requests for object and collections information and assistance
• Response to in-house and outside research requests
• In-office exhibit planning, development, and implementation
• Preparation of reports required by the Museum Management Program, National Center for Cultural Resources Stewardship and Partnership Program, Washington, D.C.

Every year the Archeological Collections Management Team produces and enters new catalog records in the Automated National Catalog System Plus (ANCS+) for both Midwest and Intermountain Region parks. Catalog records are created for many parks every year.

Some recent cataloging projects have included collections from
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Isle Royale National Park, Lincoln Boyhood National Monument, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Isle Royale National Park, Lincoln Boyhood National Monument, Ozark National Scenic Riverway, Pipestone National Monument, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, Voyageurs National Park, and Yellowstone National Park. In addition to establishing object level accountability for the collections per the requirements of the National Park Service Museum Handbook and the National Park Service Cultural Resource Management Guideline, the cataloging process provides a means for efficient access to collections for research and interpretive purposes.

Collection Team Photos