"This publication grew out of a 2018 Society for American Archaeology conference session on collections-based research at the Smithsonian"--Page vii. "This volumes seeks to put forth the recent studies of Indigenous archaeological heritage housed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) and National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) to explore significant questions about the past and present. We promote and advocate for collections-based research and collections access"--Page 1. Includes bibliographical references.
Contents:
Breaking Out of the "Cabinet of Curiosities": Ethics, Interdepartmental Studies, and New Perspectives on Museum Objects / Erin L. Sears, Lauren Sieg, and Maria M. Martinez. Collections-based research: ethical considerations. Partnerships in Collections-Based Research: Zuni Voice and the Hendricks-Hodge Collections at the National Museum of the American Indian / Klinton Burgio-Ericson and Octavius Seowtewa -- When the Field Site Is the Museum: Archaeological Opportunities and Challenges / Rosemary A. Joyce -- Ethical Aspects of Community-Based Paleogenomic Research Using Museum Sample / Lauren E. Y. Norman [and five others] -- Exploring Hopi Pottery with Hopi Teens: Intersecting Cultural Realms of Knowledge / Ronald L. Bishop, Veletta Canouts, and Suzanne P. De Atley -- Reconnecting Collections: Provenance, Material Analysis, and Iconographic Study of Mesoamerican Turquoise Mosaics and Related Pieces / Martin E. Berger, Christophe Moreau, and Serge Lemaitre -- Generating original data sets with museum collections. The Gaze of the Ñuhu Bundles: An Interpretation of Mesoamerican Mosaics at the National Museum of the American Indian / Davide Domenici -- Smithsonian Collections, Lucayan Histories: The Research Potential of Legacy Collections from The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands / Joanna Ostapkowicz, Alice C. S. Knaf, and Gareth R. Davies -- Reflecting on the History and Use of Rectangular Obsidian "Mirrors" from Mexico: Reinterpreting Old Museum Collections and Indigenous-Colonial Intersections / Maria M. Martinez [ and four others] -- Recontextualizing Pre-Columbian Gold and Resin Artifacts from Panama in the Smithsonian Collections / Ainslie Harrison [and three others] -- Taking Ancient Maya Vases Off Their Pedestals: A Case Study in Optical Microscopy and Ultraviolet Light Examination / Cara Grace Tremain -- The New Adventures of Old Ceramic Figurines from Tres Zapotes, Mexico / Erin L. Sears, Christopher A. Pool, and Ronald L. Bishop -- Breaking Out of the "Cabinet of Curiosities": Ethics, Interdepartmental Studies, and New Perspectives on Museum Objects / Erin L. Sears, Lauren Sieg, and Maria M. Martinez.
Summary:
""Old" museum collections are a valuable and sustainable resource for conducting archaeological investigation. In the past decade, a revitalization in collections-based research has occurred within the discipline of anthropology, more specifically within the subdiscipline of archaeology. This renewed interest stems from a variety of familiar and more recent trends in archaeology. The most substantial trends are the ongoing curation crisis, the lack of funding opportunities for large-scale excavation projects, evolving ethical standards, the return of anthropologists into museum settings, and academia finally allowing M.A. and Ph.D. theses to be collections based. Additionally, archaeometric techniques have assisted in giving value to existing museum collections by creating original data sets for new interpretations. Collections-based research has many benefits compared to field research. The collections that are under the care of museums allow researchers to better contextualize field data from recent excavations, enable comparisons of broader sets of objects than can be obtained from excavations alone, and provide the opportunity to study rare objects that are encountered infrequently during field work. Research on collections generates object biographies that include provenance, manufacture, use, repairs, and detection of outright forgeries. Collections offer an opportunity for collaboration and engagement by community members and can lead to a repatriation of knowledge, if not a repatriation of the items themselves. This edited volume contributes a comprehensive approach to collections-based research using anthropological collections housed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian and National Museum of Natural History, Department of Anthropology. Additionally, the volume will serve as a pedagogical manual for conducting collections-based research within current museum milieus."--Provided by publisher.
Series:
Smithsonian contributions to anthropology, 0081-0223 ; number 54
OCLC:
(OCoLC)1393685525
LCCN:
2022933956
Locations:
OVUX522 -- University of Iowa Libraries (Iowa City)
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.