During the summer of 1991 southern Minnesota experienced a sustained period of unusually heavy precipitation and high relative humidity. These conditions have seriously affected several ethnographic collections housed in the Science Museum of Minnesota and permitted the development of mold. If untreated this infestation may permanently damage irreplaceable specimens. These materials include several hundred Chiapas Maya and Guatemalan Maya textiles and other artifacts; hundreds of Blackfeet and other Northern Plains Native American objects such as beaded leather shirts, leggings, dresses and containers; and 200 baskets from the upper Great Lakes region and central Minnesota dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries. These collections have been recognized as among the finest and best documented North American ethnographic collections in the world today. With NSF support, appropriate conservation measures will be conducted and the materials restored until steps can be taken to permanently remedy the situation. Such collections are of prime importance to anthropologists who study material culture and society- environmental interactions. This grant will help to prevent damage to irreplaceable materials.
