Excavating the Museum: New Research on Old Collections

Most anthropology or natural history museums have hidden treasures in their collections, materials collected but not published or inadequately published. Many of these collections have never been completely analyzed or described or been used to address in-depth research questions. These overlooked artifacts, many of which date to the early years of our profession, warrant reexamination using current theoretical approaches and research methods. In this symposium, presenters working with older archaeological research collections of textiles, baskets, footwear, cordage, and other perishable artifacts, as well as more durable materials, discuss their new findings and interpretations of these long-forgotten resources.