Preserving 140 years of Archaeological Records in the Peabody Museum Archives

Abstract

Over the past decades, the Archives of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University has been serving the research, teaching, and publication needs of an increasing range and number of diverse local and international audiences. In its ongoing efforts towards enhanced professionalization, the Peabody Museum has integrated digitization as a means of expanding collections access and preservation. This paper focuses on a large collection of 6,900 oversized archaeological site-related documents, printed and annotated maps, and architectural blueprints previously not physically accessible due to their rolled state or other condition issues, This paper describes the planning phases and the implementation program (documentation, condition assessment, conservation treatment and reorganization) to make these documents available for use and future digitization. Discussion of the highlights of the North, Central, and South American archaeology-related archival collections is included.