What’s in That Vial? Collections Management Perspectives on Coprolite Collections

Summary

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

Anthropological collections management professionals are increasingly challenged by the need to care for non-standard materials suspended in liquids. With shrinking budgets and personnel, establishing standardized practices for managing these materials is essential for both resource preservation and operational efficiency. Coprolites, in particular, have seen a recent surge in research interest, yet standardized protocols for their management remain underdeveloped. Here, we present a management-focused case study of rehydrated coprolites from the Anthropology Research Collections at Texas A&M University (ARC-TAMU). We propose best practices for coprolite collections management, including the assessment of hydrated and dehydrated samples, optimal storage solutions, criteria for deaccessioning, and policies that can be adopted by other facilities. By addressing these needs, we aim to enhance the stewardship of these unique materials and contribute to the development of collections management practices that can adapt to evolving research demands and resource constraints.

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): 53143