The archaeological collections at the Museum of Anthropology, University of Kentucky, contain over one million items, documents and photographs that are the result of over sixty years of systematic scientific research. These irreplaceable resources are important for understanding the development of Native American society and culture in the eastern United States from the Archaic period to the present. Due to past neglect, these materials are presently unavailable for research and are rapidly deteriorating. The paper and photographic documents that provide the all-important provenience information needed to effectively use the collections are in immediate danger. To remedy this problem, the staff will reorganize the 35,000 written field note records and 33,100 photographic documents contained in the collection. Materials will be inventoried, microfilmed or duplicated, and preserved in archival quality files. The reorganization, curation, and preservation of these fragile materials will stop their deterioration and make them accessible for anthropological research.
