Making Archaeological Collections Available for Research: Recommendations for Repositories

Abstract

Archaeological collections repositories have two principal aims: preserving collections while also making them accessible. This accessibility is critical for the growing number of researchers turning to collections to study the past. This article describes steps that repositories can take to enhance access to collections in their custody, based on the experience of the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, the state's public archaeological curation facility. These steps include the identification of stakeholders—archaeologists, Native American tribes, and stakeholder communities; creation of a detailed and prioritized collection inventory including artifacts and records; development of finding aids; reconstruction of provenience systems; and exploration of the digital delivery of collection information. For repositories ill equipped to hold archaeological collections, consideration should be given to transferring the collection to one with the appropriate resources and expertise.

Collaborating with Farmers to Recover Indigenous Archaic Period History from Private Lithic Collections in Virginia's Rappahannock River Valley

“…Leave written and electronic copies documenting what you have learned about provenience and survey with the collection. Knowledge of a collection's provenience is key to its use archaeologically (King and Samford 2019). Many farmers do not realize the informational value of their collections.…”

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

“…Finding the physical collections (artifacts and associated records, including born-digital and hard copies), synthesizing the data in a meaningful way, and effectively disseminating the results is challenging, time-consuming, and expensive (Schlanger et al 2015). Contextual data is often lacking in the associated records (e.g., field forms, maps, or photos [King 2009; King and Samford 2019; Voss 2012]). Problems with the preservation of contextual data exist, in part, because few archaeologists are formally trained in the practices of creating a meaningful archive that effectively informs future researchers, especially archaeologists who reexamine existing repository collections (Bauer-Clapp and Kirakosian 2017; Merriman and Swain 1999; Vogt-O'Connor 1999; see also Schiappacasse 2019).…”

“…Emerson and Hoffman emphasize the importance of consultation with descendant communities and incorporation of tribal input and concerns regarding access to and management of sensitive data. Julia King and Patricia Samford (2019) describe the policies and practices implemented by the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory to enhance the research value of collections and make them accessible. The authors examine what repository personnel can do to preserve artifacts and their contextual relationships and, with input from researchers, prioritize collections significance and identify those with the highest research potential.…”

A New View on the Late Pleistocene Lithic Remains from Pikimachay Cave, South Central Peru

“…The collections resulting from his intense integrative research constitute a significant part of his legacy; the anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic samples collected during his projects are significant legacy collections (e.g. King & Samford, 2019;St. Amand et al, 2020).…”