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A Guide to the Use of Museum Collections for Archaeological Research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2018

Tammy Stone
Tammy Stone*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Denver, 1200 Larimer Street Room 4002, Denver, CO 80204, USA ([email protected])
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Abstract

From a perusal of archaeological and museum journals it is apparent that there is a rich literature dealing with topics such as the place of museums and repositories in anthropological research, engagement with indigenous/descendant populations by archaeologists working in a variety of settings (including collections-based research), and research centered on the study of existing archaeological collections. Despite this rich literature, however, the archaeological researcher who wishes to use collections in archives, museums, or repositories for the first time is often perplexed by how to gain access to collections, how to communicate with archive/museum/repository professionals, the constraints that archive/museum/repository professionals work under, and—at an even more basic level—what the difference between an archive, a museum, and a repository actually is. This article addresses some of these questions and provides a practical guide to opening up the vast research opportunities presented by existing collections.

Un examen detenido de revistas arqueológicas y de museos revela que hay una copiosa literatura sobre temas tales como el rol de los museos y repositorios en la investigación antropológica, el compromiso con las poblaciones indígenas o descendientes por parte de arqueólogos que trabajan en una variedad de situaciones (incluyendo la investigación basada en colecciones) y la investigación centrada en el estudio de colecciones arqueológicas existentes. Sin embargo, a pesar de esta rica literatura, el investigador arqueológico que desee por primera vez utilizar colecciones en archivos, museos o repositorios a menudo se enfrenta a perplejidades acerca del acceso a las colecciones, la comunicación con los profesionales de archivos, museos o repositorios, las restricciones bajo las cuales trabajan estos mismos profesionales y, a un nivel aún más básico, la diferencia entre un archivo, un museo y un repositorio. Este artículo aborda algunas de estas preguntas y proporciona una guía práctica para abrir las puertas a las amplias oportunidades de investigación presentadas por las colecciones existentes.

Type
How to Series
Information
Advances in Archaeological Practice , Volume 6 , Issue 4 , November 2018 , pp. 372 - 376
Copyright
Copyright 2018 © Society for American Archaeology 

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References

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