The Art of Soil Reduction: Practical Approaches for Collections Managers

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Managing excess soil, sediment, and geological (SG) samples is a challenge faced by many collections management professionals. These types of samples are often over-represented and relatively disorganized in collections facilities, leading to issues of sample preservation and space allocation. Here, we address the challenge of managing excess SG samples within archaeological collections by presenting a case study from the Anthropology Research Collections at Texas A&M University (ARC-TAMU). Faced with limited storage space and redundant sample concerns, ARC-TAMU undertook a strategic reduction of SG samples to improve the efficiency of its collections management practices. By reducing and deaccessioning large quantities of minimally useful and redundant SG samples, we successfully optimized storage space and resource allocation while improving the standard of care for existing SG samples. This solution not only enhanced the management, preservation, and accessibility of archaeological materials at ARC-TAMU, but also allowed for the acceptance of new materials into the collections. This scalable approach demonstrates how targeted reductions in sample volume and use of novel storage solutions can lead to significant gains in efficiency, making it a valuable reference for the broader archaeological and museum communities.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• SAA 2025: Individual Abstracts

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53062