Federal archaeological collections and assessment of the federal curation regulations

In this thesis, an assessment of the ???Federal Curation Regulations,??? formally known as ???Curation of Federally Owned and Administered Archaeological Collections??? (36 CFR Part 79), is presented from the perspective of non-federal collections repositories, which includes a range of museums and universities. After relevant cultural resource legislation\ud and 36 CFR Part 79 itself is reviewed, the history of archaeology, museums, and federally-owned collections are discussed to shed light on how the regulations are being implemented and applied. Case studies of three non-federal repositories holding federally-owned collections are conducted in order to evaluate successes and obstacles these institutions have experienced in attempting to meet the regulations. It is concluded\ud that the Curation Regulations have acted to improve the preservation of federal archaeological collections since their passage in 1990. Finally, recommendations are offered to archaeologists and federal agencies to continue their pursuit in preserving collections for future researchers and the public