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The Preservation of Archaeological Records and Photographs

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The Preservation of Archaeological Records and Photographs University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Anthropology Department Theses and Dissertations Anthropology, Department of 12-2010 The Preservation of Archaeological Records and Photographs Kelli Bacon University of Nebraska at Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/anthrotheses Part of the Anthropology Commons Bacon, Kelli, "The Preservation of Archaeological Records and Photographs" (2010). Anthropology Department Theses and Dissertations. 9. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/anthrotheses/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Anthropology, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Anthropology Department Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. THE PRESERVATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS By Kelli Bacon A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College of the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts Major: Anthropology Under the Supervision of Professor LuAnn Wandsnider Lincoln, Nebraska December 2010 THE PRESERVATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS Kelli Bacon, M.A. University of Nebraska, 2010 Advisor: LuAnn Wandsnider Substantive and organized research about archaeological records and photograph preservation, especially those written by and for archaeologists, are few. Although the Society for American Archaeology has a code of ethics regarding archaeological records preservation, and the federal government has regulations regarding the care and preservation of federally owned archaeological collections, there is a lack of resources. This is detrimental to archaeology because not all archaeologists, given the maturity of the discipline, understand how important it is to preserve archaeological records and photographs. Without documents and photographs from projects, irreplaceable information is lost. This thesis adds to the existing body of knowledge and is developed from over 10 years of professional research into and observations on the topic. Research shows there are simple and inexpensive ways to preserve archaeological records and photographs for repositories and archaeologists on any budget. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract................................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgements............................................................................................................vii List of Tables......................................................................................................................ix Chapter 1: Introduction.......................................................................................................1 Definition of an Archaeological Record…..............................................................1 Requirements for Records Preservation…...............................................................3 Thesis Purpose.........................................................................................................4 Chapter Arrangement...............................................................................................5 Chapter 2: Making Accurate and Durable Records............................................................7 Introduction..............................................................................................................7 What to Record........................................................................................................7 Why Accurately Record Information?.....................................................................9 How To Photo-Document Projects........................................................................10 Supplies for Making Documents…………...........................................................12 Conclusion.............................................................................................................14 Chapter 3: Saving Records.................................................................................................15 Introduction............................................................................................................15 A Brief History of Records Preservation...............................................................15 Why Save the Information?...................................................................................16 What to Save After Making Documents................................................................18 How to Promote Records Preservation..................................................................20 iv Conclusion.............................................................................................................21 Chapter 4: Caring for Records..........................................................................................23 Introduction............................................................................................................23 How to Care for Archaeological Records..............................................................23 Macroenvironment v. Microenvironment..................................................25 Paper..........................................................................................................27 Housing......................................................................................................28 Oversized Documents................................................................................30 How Are Archaeological Records Destroyed?......................................................31 Light...........................................................................................................31 Relative Humidity......................................................................................33 Temperature...............................................................................................35 Biological Agents.......................................................................................36 Physical Damage........................................................................................37 Inherent Instability.....................................................................................37 Writing Inks...............................................................................................38 Atmospheric Pollutants..............................................................................39 Adhesives and Fasteners............................................................................40 How to Maintain Proper Conditions......................................................................40 Light...........................................................................................................40 Temperature and Relative Humidity..........................................................42 Biological Agents.......................................................................................45 Physical Maintenance................................................................................49 v Atmospheric Pollutants..............................................................................52 How to Protect Against a Disaster.........................................................................53 Protecting Against Bad Buildings and Equipment....................................54 Protecting Against Theft............................................................................55 Protecting Against Fire..............................................................................56 Protecting Against Flood...........................................................................56 Conclusion.............................................................................................................57 Chapter 5: Caring for Non-Digital Photographic Media..................................................59 Introduction............................................................................................................59 How is Photographic Media Destroyed?...............................................................59 Physical Damage........................................................................................59 Chemical Damage......................................................................................60 Poor Storage Conditions............................................................................60 Poor Storage Materials...............................................................................62 How to Store Photographic Media.........................................................................62 Storage Materials.......................................................................................63 Storage Conditions.....................................................................................67 Air Filtration..............................................................................................69 How to Prepare Photographic Media for Storage..................................................69 Conclusion.............................................................................................................71 Chapter 6: Submitting Records.........................................................................................72 Introduction............................................................................................................72
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