Adrian Praetzellis and Julia Costello

2002  "Don't Keep Everything: Artifact Discard Policy" Society for
California Archaeology Newsletter 36(3):30-33.

2003     "Don't Keep Everything: Response to Greenwood and Hale" Society for
California Archaeology Newsletter 37(1):14-15.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Branstner" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, October 27, 2006 11:04 AM
Subject: Re: curation of hazardous materials


> Rob,
>
> I know its a day late and a dollar short, but the better question
> might be:  "Why did you bring it out of the field in the first
> place?"   If you had left it on site, there would be no disposal
> problem ...  Count it, weigh it, pitch it.  And now that its back in
> the lab, "What is the purpose of curating this material?"  Frankly,
> now that its back in the lab, "count it, weigh it, and pitch it"
> would still be my advice.
>
> Which raises a bigger question (at least in my mind) ...  Has there
> been any recent discussion on HISTARCH or elsewhere relative to the
> curation/non-curation of historic archaeological materials?  I guess
> I am most concerned about the high-volume, but (potentially) less
> significant artifacts (e.g., nails, bricks, unidentifiable ferrous
> lumps, window glass, twentieth century bottle glass, etc.).
>
> Anybody like to talk about these as curation policies or issues, or
> point me towards such a discussion?
>
> -- 
>
> Mark C. Branstner
> Historic Archaeologist
>
> Illinois Transportation
> Archaeological Research Program
> 209 Nuclear Physics Lab, MC-571
> 23 East Stadium Drive
> Champaign, IL 61820
>
> Phone: 217.244.0892
> Fax: 217.244.7458
> Cell: 517.927.4556
> [log in to unmask]
>
> "There is also an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth,
> without either virtue or talents ... The artificial aristocracy is a
> mischievous ingredient in government, and provisions should be made to
> prevent its ascendancy."
>
> - Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)