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Date: | Wed, 1 Nov 2006 23:19:31 -0500 |
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In a message dated 10/30/2006 6:15:28 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
think what some of us forget in this discussion is that most of us don't
have the time nor the budgets to conserve rusty "blobs ." Can you imagine
having to budget for this in CRM?
One of the purposes of HISTARCH is to exchange ideas on issues like
conservation. Did you know there was a time in the past fifty years when some
consulting archaeologists did not use screens at all when digging? Did you know that
most archaeologists only used 1/4-inch screens until the past ten years or
so (some still do)? Did you know some archaeologists only kept whole bottles
or plates when digging? Did you know that some archaeologists used to put
field recoveries in acidic paper bags and put the bags in acidic beer and whisky
boxes? Heck, some people still use tape measures and telescope transits for
mapping. Do you know who forced the CRM professionals to shift to acid-free
bags and boxes, 1/8-inch screens, laser transits and GPS devices? The same
people who review federal permits, decide when a survey or testing is needed for
Section 106 studies, and set standards for analysis, conservation, and
long-term curation of collections. And, it is not the CRM firms who make those
decisions. The federal agency that required the people doing the undertaking (not
to mention the SHPO) should require the scope of work to include collection
management and conservation of collections to compensate for the destruction
of our national heritage. Yes, the federal archaeologists who are driving this
work need to make sure that every CRM company who replies to a RFP includes
x-ray, conservation, and curation in their budget.
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.
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