Course Description
Students will develop knowledge about the history of curation in North America and basic collection management practices, including the maintenance and preservation of artifacts and associated documentation. Policies, responsibilities, and curatorial best practices associated with management of archaeological collections are emphasized. A laboratory format will facilitate hands-on learning.
Athena Title
Collections Management
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Through readings, discussions, and hands-on collections work, students will: • Gain a general understanding of the curation process for archaeological collections and documentation from the field to the curation repository; the curatorial policies, standards, and practices that are associated with the care and management of archaeological collections and documentation. • Become acquainted and gain a general understanding of the history of curation within the discipline of archaeology and the accompanying laws and ethics. • Develop the skills necessary to perform basic archival practices on archaeological collections and documentation. • Understand the ethical issues surrounding the care and management of archaeological collections.
Topical Outline
1. History of Archaeological Curation, Curation Crisis, and Archaeological Ethics 2. Consideration of the Process of Curation from the Field to the Repository 3. Overview of Archaeological Curation Repositories 4. Collections Management Policies-Overview of Managing Archaeological Collections 5. Accessioning, Deaccessioning, and Cataloging 6. Digital Database Management 7. Collections Research-Loans, Donations, Transfers, and Destructive Analysis 8. Curatorial Best Practices- Environmental Monitoring, Assessment and Maintenance, Pest Management, Security and Fire Safety, Disaster Preparedness 9. Curatorial Best Practices- Preventative Conservation and Preservation 10. Archival Materials and Condition Reporting 11. Collections Rehabilitation, Collections Cataloging, Labeling, and Inventory 12. NAGPRA and Archaeological Collections Management 13. Collections Re-Use- Unprovenienced Collections, Orphaned Collections, Museum Exhibits 14. Final Project Work 15. Final Project Work 16. Final Presentation
Syllabus
Public CV