Curation of Federally Owned and Administered

Archival labeling and packaging of objects, or groups of objects, are essential for the preservation and use of materials within an archaeological collection. Proper packaging and labeling ensures that collection information, most importantly those associated with the object’s provenience, is maintained and accessible. A curated archaeological collection and its component parts are not simply warehoused. The information contained within each collection has continuing value and is used for a wide variety of purposes, including scholarly research, specialized analysis, heritage education, and public exhibition. On many occasions, an individual object or small group of objects needs to be removed temporarily from the collection. A well organized collection, properly labeled and packaged, effectively limits the possibility of information loss that can occur when an object has to be separated from its associated collection. The information provided in this Guide is meant to supplement, but not replace, the Standards for Archaeological Curation for curation at the Waring Laboratory. The labeling and packaging measures detailed here conform with standards defined i