University:
Tyler Junior College
Course:
ANTH 2301 | Anthropology
Academic year:

2024
Views:

254

Pages:

1
Author:

Dave D.

Cultural and Archaeological ANTH 2301 Three-Dimensional Collections Manuscript collections and three-dimensional collections of artefacts, including basketry and pottery, are often kept apart. Tens of thousands of distinct cultural artefacts might be housed in these collections. Generally speaking, these collections need a lot more maintenance and care than manuscript materials. To prevent degradation over time, careful planning is necessary to determine how to confine and store each type of object. Particular emphasis is given to the temperature and moisture content of storage facilities. All organic things will have been frozen, maybe many times, to kill any insects that could be living in the fibres of the handwoven baskets, which will be supported to prevent stress on the fibres. Reduction of temperature and maintenance of moisture controls are necessary to prevent further degradation of collections of animal and human remains used by biological anthropologists or archaeologists. To prevent deterioration, certain really old organic collections could require chemical stabilisation. Particularly vulnerable to deterioration are items crafted from organic materials, such as human bones, basketry, reed sandals, and wooden boats. Boats discovered on a river or lakebed, for example, are examples of organic artefacts that have been shut off from the air for generations. Because they will quickly deteriorate if exposed to the air, they may be preserved indefinitely in ice or with an ammonium glycol solution to slow down the process. For the purpose of facilitating future study opportunities, every object housed in collection storage has to be properly organised. Collection materials used to support assertions about evolution or the human experience should be available to future researchers in case their conclusions are questioned or challenged. Furthermore, a strategy must be in place for the collection's term of retention, or the amount of time it will stay in the archive, in the event that an anthropologist who contributed and was in charge of managing the collection at one institution passed away or relocated to another research organisation. There are no plans to ever remove many biological and cultural collections from archives; they have been stored in repositories since the day they were obtained. The Smithsonian Institution has certain collections that date back to the building's construction in the 1850s. Around the world, colleges and museums are adding to these collections. Many museums started using lacquer to paint items and sprayed pesticides like DDT on organic collections in the early 20th century to stop insect damage. It was eventually shown that these solutions were detrimental. DDT and other pesticides are harmful to human health, and lacquer tends to change the colour and chemical makeup of artefacts, making it a poor choice for preservation. The risks that these substances provide to people are a great worry for museum employees as well as tribe members who receive returned artefacts and human remains. If the remains are to be interred, they also constitute a risk to the environment. Numerous collections are undergoing cleaning efforts.

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