Ethical Considerations in Closing a Zooarchaeological Comparative Collection

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Animal Matters: Ethics in Zooarchaeology from Discovery to Display" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

I have spent nearly 35 years building a comparative zooarchaeological collection at New York University that includes both modern comparative specimens and heritage collections. I plan to retire in 2026, and it is likely that I will not be replaced. This presentation will address the ethical questions that surround closing a comparative collection. How do I find appropriate homes for both the modern comparative specimens and the heritage collections? How can I accomplish this is an ethical way that guarantees that the collection can find a home or homes where it will be accessible to other scholars and students? How can I make sure that as much documentation as possible accompanies the comparative and heritage collections? While there is a lot of literature on building comparative collections, the questions surrounding closing a comparative collections have not been discussed in detail. This presentation will address these issues.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Animal Matters: Ethics in Zooarchaeology from Discovery to Display   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51042