Artifact Shows versus Museums

[Hernandoman]

There is a LOT of disdain for artifact shows from the "professional ranks" but I challenge any of you to find a decent mueum that displays a decent lithic collection - there's not one to my knowledge. I do have some advice for any collector out there though - DO NOT DONATE YOUR COLLECTION TO ANY UNIVERSITY OR GOVERNMENT FUNDED MUSEUM. It will disappear to some basement or slipped out the back door. If you hear of someone about to donate their collection, make sure they read the accompanying article.

[Hernando]

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[Bobby Gilbert]

I would like to read it but the print is too small.

[Hernando]

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[Hernando]

Sorry about the small text, it is an old file I had on a floppy disk. The photos were taken in actual museums across the country.

[Hernando]

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[Hernando]

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[Hernando]

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[Hernando]

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[Hernando]

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[Alaskan_Lithics]

And they throw us in jail for picking up arrowheads. What a bunch of clowns.
Here is another article and there is more..Just Google "A curation Crisis"


The State of Curation
Priceless artifacts risk damage and loss
By Barbara Fahs
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 10:22 AM HST
Ancient poi pounders and other cultural relics from Hawai'i's past are sometimes stored in back rooms, garages, attics and inadequate rented storage units because there is "no central repository charged with the obligation to take in artifacts that need curation" in the State of Hawai'i, according to Thomas Dye, Ph.D., of T. S. Dye and Colleagues, Archaeologists, Inc.

"The types of cultural relics that archaeologists dig up include "durable refuse that is thrown away, such as shellfish, charcoal, kukui nuts... these are not formal artifacts but contain information on how people used to live. Stone adzes (ko'i), poi pounders, and other things made of stone, bone and shell are more interesting to museums and the general public, but all items are important to helping us reconstruct the past," reports Peter R. Mills, Ph.D., Anthropology professor at UH Hilo.

What is curation?

The Society for Historical Archaeology defines curation as "an integral element of the archaeological process [which] refers to the long-term management and preservation of archaeological materials and their associated documentation." Without proper curation and adequate facilities to house archaeological collections, a crisis continues to grow larger each year due to the large number of artifacts being excavated by private consultants and government agencies, not only in Hawai'i but also across the United States.

How large is the problem?

A 2007 study titled "Curation Crisis in Archaeology" states, "Entire collections of artifacts across the country are simply vanishing or being hidden away so deeply that they are forgotten about completely, not to mention being stored in substandard conditions that do not preserve them for posterity."

Why this problem exists

The bottom line is a lack of money allocated for facilities that would help to preserve the heritage of not only Hawaiian people and their history, but also all ethnic groups. Federal guidelines exist, but not federal funding. In Hawai'i, there is also archaeological interest in the plantation era, World War II, the missionary years -- in fact, all history dating back even 50 to 100 years -- so this situation affects everyone.

Private archaeology firms support their own storage facilities, but these are sometimes rented storage spaces without air conditioning. Several federal agencies also maintain facilities, so, "there are very many of them," Dye adds.

James Bayman is President of the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology, and also an Associate Professor at UH Manoa. He states, "Although we do the best we can at UH, our curation facilities are clearly substandard. Some of our collections, for example, are curated in shipping containers that are not air-conditioned. This endangers collections and makes it difficult for researchers to access and study artifacts. Difficulty with access is key: The whole idea behind artifact collections is that they have intrinsic cultural and scientific value, if not today, then for people in the future. But if there is not an adequate collection management system, this value is essentially lost."

Thomas Dye goes on to explain that further problems are beginning to arise when "one of the firms with a storage facility goes out of business, usually because the principal wants to retire. Once the firm gives up its rented facilities, the artifacts in them need to find new homes. This can sometimes be difficult."

Auli'i Mitchell is a cultural practitioner and an anthropologist/ethnographer with Cultural Surveys of Hawai'i, Inc. He adds, "In some cases, cultural relics are returned to large landowners, such as hotels, and some of them have provided very nice displays for their guests and the public to enjoy and learn from. But there should be a curation facility that is administered by a Hawaiian sovereignty-based organization."

Most serious part of the problem

Dr. Mills summed it up by saying, "By not managing where things go when they come out of the ground... important things can be lost. And things that should be returned to the places they came from might not be. In addition, people who have ancestral connections to those items often have no effective access to them."

Kekuewa Kikiloi, Cultural Assets Manager for the Kamehameha Schools Land Assets Division, added that the "inability to account for these cultural relics means that they could be sold anywhere, like the Internet or the black market."

How can we solve the problem?

Dr. Mills recommends that funding should be from all sources -- federal, state, and private contributions -- to ensure that our heritage is preserved properly.

"It's a tricky issue ... some people in the community believe that collections should be on the island where they originated," adds Dr. Bayman. "If a body of organizations were created, perhaps island collection councils, and a fee structure to supplement state funds were implemented, curation could be improved. Concern with this issue is already instigating a greater interest in collaboration among communities. Some legislators, native Hawaiians and others are increasingly interested in supporting and improving collections management in the context of contract archaeology. Contact your representatives to let them know you're concerned about the collections issue."

Jo Lynn Gunness, M.A., is the Archaeological Labs Manager at UH Manoa. At a talk she gave to the Society for Hawaiian Archaeology Conference on Oct. 7, 2000, she concluded her remarks by stating: "Providing the best possible repository conditions for our archaeological collections is something we should all be concerned with. Not only are they our legacy to the future, but they will be increasingly relied upon by researchers as sites disappear, and funding for fieldwork becomes even more limited."

On the Internet:

http://www.academon.com/lib/paper/93761.html

http://www.archaeology.hawaii.edu/collections/SHAPaper/Curation.html

http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/hpd/

http://www.sha.hawaii.edu/

[danrpoints]

No wonder California is broke.