From Grandma’s Attic to Amnesty Programs: Adventures in Accessioning Archaeological Collections

Abstract

Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum (the Center) located in Dolores, Colorado is a federal Bureau of Land Management curation facility for archaeological collections generated from permitted projects on public lands in southwest Colorado. As with many museums, the Center receives artifacts without contextual information that were collected without permits and transferred through a variety of sources like law enforcement actions. Numerous donation scenarios are provided. The curation of artifacts without provenience or contextual information can be difficult to justify because of high curation costs and limited space. However, the Center has identified and clarified the value of unprovenienced collections and found paths to provide public benefit through the application of Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management policy and guidance.