Dusting Off the Data

Abstract

AbstractArchaeological projects that are described as orphaned or legacy collections are generally older materials that do not meet modern “best practice” curation standards and require considerable resources to be preserved for future research. Rehabilitation and curation of these projects allows for better inventory control of the artifacts, and accompanying documentation ensures that cultural heritage is preserved and plays an important part in the repatriation process. Procedures and methods for rehousing archaeological legacy collections are outlined. Using the 1984–1987 Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society (AAHS) volunteer excavations at Redtail Village (AZ AA:12:149 [ASM]) as a case study, we propose a process for rehabilitating legacy collections and offer solutions for preserving important archaeological resources for future research.