Even up to the mid-twentieth century, archaeology was full of self-aggrandizing explorers on quests to find Atlantis or Mu, and early excavations were often massive, rushed, and focused on finding the most magnificent artifacts. In libraries, decision-making likely targets existing holding materials, whereas in archives, decisions for preservation are often made when they acquire materials. In many cases museums are working with the nations to find a compromise to balance the need for reliable supervision as well as access for both the public and researchers.Conservators are not just bound by ethics to treat cultural and religious objects with respect, but also in some cases by law. Texts and artifacts in the electronic era. Throughout this month, archaeologists across the state will be sharing their expertise and their life’s work with students, families, and anyone who wants to learn. The Preservation, Planning and Publications Committee of the Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) in the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services has created a Preservation Education Directory of ALA Accredited schools in the U.S. and Canada offering courses in preservation. Commonly, public library systems work with each other and sometimes with more academic libraries through interlibrary loan programs.
In some cases, these standards can be regulatory.

He currently serves on the Board of the Oklahoma Archaeology Survey.

Conservators should refer to the AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice,One instance in which these decisions may get tricky is when the conservator is dealing with cultural objects. Thanks for the information on why we should protect archaeological sites, it was very informational. Decision making for preservation should be made considering significance and value of materials. There are three methods for carrying out a preservation survey: general preservation assessment, collection condition surveys, and an item-by-item survey.Selection for treatment determines the survival of materials and should be done by a specialist, whether in relation to an established collection development policy or on an item by item basis.With old media deteriorating or showing their vulnerabilities and new media becoming available, research remains active in the field of conservation and preservation. Defense Secretary heads Archaeology Task Force. Page 49.Kaschins, Elizabeth and Jane Kemp. Archaeology has been categorized into various sub-divisions, such as historical archaeology, which involves the study of cultures, underwater archaeology, involving the study of remains of any human activity lying at the bed of a water body.

Public libraries usually try to tailor their services to meet the needs and desires of their local communities, which could cause an emphasis on acquiring new materials over preserving old ones. We invite you all to join us as we celebrate archaeology in Texas and beyond.

However, after venturing on a field trip with an anthropology professor, he soon developed a …   October 10th from 10 AM to 2 PM at the JJ Pickle Research Campus of UT Austin. In this essay, we take a brief look at the ethics behind preserving archaeological sites, the difference between scientific excavation and looting, and how to talk to non-archaeologists about cultural heritage management.One important reason to preserve and document archaeological sites is that, in some cases, it’s the law.

Check out the Texas Archaeological Society or a local society, or contact your local university. You’re absolutely right, and vandalism is a major threat to sites here in Texas as well.


TARL also has lots of volunteer opportunities available and we’d love to have your help.You only touch on vandalism as a threat. Preservation criteria.

With non-paper formats, the availability of equipment to access the information will be a factor (for example, playback equipment for audio-visual materials, or microform readers). Image Permanence Institute. "Although digitization seems to be a promising area for future preservation, there are also problems. The second way is to educate people about what archaeology does—why it is important to all of us and not just to archaeologists.

Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archaeological resources.

One of the most well known companies in preservation is Hollinger Metal Edge.Learning the proper methods of preservation is important and most archivists are educated on the subject at academic institutions that specifically cover archives and preservation. Library Journal. Forms of significance can be historically, culturally, socially, or spiritually significant. Isn’t that what archaeologists do?We know that without our intervention, some sites are very vulnerable and can be destroyed either through construction, natural disasters such as floods, or natural processes like erosion. In Arizona that threat was considered real and there was an approach made to involve local law enforcement as shareholds in protecting rural sites. A major controversy at the end of the twentieth century centered on the practice of discarding items that had been microfilmed.

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s decision to entrust the survey and preservation of archaeological sites in the ethnically-mixed Eastern Province to a Presidential Task Force headed by the Defense Secretary, appears to have …