Where will artifacts go after fieldwork?
This question needs to be answered, and arrangements made, prior to beginning excavation. After fieldwork, artifacts will likely need to be processed further, perhaps at a laboratory, and then will need to be placed in a repository for long-term storage. Many repositories are reaching full capacity, so there is no guarantee that one will accept a collection if prior arrangements have not been made. The repository should meet professional curation standards. The federal publication: 36CFR§79 Curation of Federally-owned and Administered Archeological Collections, provides information on the requirements for a repository. Artifacts must be prepared for curation according to current professional practices and the requirements of the selected repository. A repository may refuse collections which do not meet professional standards and guidelines for curation, and which do not originate from the same state as the repository. The principal investigator can consult the collections manager of t
