Preserving and curating archaeological collections is one of the most important aspects of the discipline. Too often curation is treated as second fiddle to field work and analysis. Yet millions of artifacts remain in collections at repositories across the country. Fortunately, curation standards have greatly improved in the last thirty years. The days of millions of artifacts rotting away in crumbling cardboard boxes is mostly behind us.
In this volume, nineteen scholars contribute essays on a wide range of collection issues. Section one deals with doing research on collections, a topic that grows in importance every year. Section two tackles collections issues ranging from ownership problems, to record keeping, to financial issues. Section three is a compilation of useful data for collection managers concerning ethics, laws and regulations, and access and use.
As new fieldwork becomes more difficult (and expensive), using collections to advance archaeological research becomes ever more important. This offering provides a very helpful guide for moving forward. —Mark Michel
