Curation Policies

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Abbreviated Curation Policies

The Center for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (CACHe) at the University of Louisville (UofL) has been designated by the Kentucky Heritage Council as an approved curatorial facility for federally- and state-owned and –associated archaeological collections. CACHe has developed the following curation policies for agencies and contractors who wish to curate collections. 

After appropriate review and approval, the Department of Anthropology’s CACHe may accept for curation archaeological collections from private individuals and public and private agencies. Collections that do not meet Curation Requirements (detailed below), will not be accepted for curation. The cost of curation is a one-time fee of $500.00 per 15" x 12" x 10" archival box of adequately catalogued collections unless agreed otherwise. Oversized boxes will be charged at a rate corresponding to the number of standard-sized boxes displaced by the largest dimension. The total curation fee will be assessed against a total amount of archaeological and documentary materials to be stored. For materials that do not meet Curation Requirements, collection owners and/or agencies will have the option to enter into a revitalization contract agreement paying CACHe to bring the collection up to required standards. Fees associated with revitalization contracts are separate from and in addition to the one-time curation fee. Revitalization contract costs will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. 

These fees may be waived by the Director, in consultation with the Department Chair, in the case of individuals, agencies, or institutions who wish to donate collections of outstanding research or instructional value to the University. These fees may also be waived for the curation of materials collected by University faculty, staff, and students as agents of the University of Louisville; however, grant and contract proposals should include curation costs. 

Curation fees may not be waived in the case of materials received from professional contractors. 

Curation fees may be lowered or raised at any time to offset related costs and to keep pace with industry standards. 

When collections are transferred to the University of Louisville, the University acknowledges its obligation to maintain a collections facility which meets Federal curation guidelines. Should the University need to transfer collections in the future to a facility at another institution, it can do so without abrogating its federal responsibilities if the receiving institution has a facility which meets federal curation guidelines. All agencies and contractors will be contacted prior to such a transfer and given the opportunity to deaccession from the University any and all archaeological materials and documentation which they had previously transferred to the University. 

Curation Requirements

The University of Louisville Center for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage has the following requirements for the curation of materials. 

Collection 

  1. Collections must meet our mission of curating collections from the Southeast and Midwest or related regions or have significant research or educational value as determined by the Director and Department of Anthropology.
  2. The cost for curation is a one-time fee of $500 per 15" x 12" x 10" archival box. Oversized boxes will be charged at a rate corresponding to the number of standard-sized boxes displaced by the largest dimension.
  3. Documents or artifacts must be contained within Hollinger-type archival boxes, with separate lids, measuring 15" x 12" x 10".
  4. Each archival box weighs no more than thirty (30) pounds in total weight, and its contents are organized and readily accessible (artifacts are not crushed, bags can be removed easily and replaced in the box).
  5. Bags or boxes containing documents and/or artifacts should be organized sequentially by catalog number.
  6. Each archival box should have a printed list of its contents printed on acid-free paper.
  7. One label with box contents should be affixed to one end of the box.
  8. Primary documentation must include paper and digital copies of a completed site survey form for each site collection, with a site number, assigned by the State Historic Preservation Office, and a copy of all applicable permits.
  9. Digital documentation should be submitted on appropriate media, preferably a USB flash drive.
  10. Primary documentation must include one paper and one digital copy of the final report/monograph in which the site data has been included.
  11. Primary documentation must include one paper and one digital copy of the artifact catalog. This documentation must include a brief explanation of how the catalog is organized and definitions of any abbreviations. The provenience information should be detailed and consistent with excavation or collection methodologies. Artifact classification should be consistent with analyses presented in the final report.
  12. Paper copies of primary documentation must be printed on acid-free paper with all metal stapes, paper clips, etc. removed.
  13. Secondary documentation (field notes, maps, etc.) must be placed in acid-free folders or envelopes with all metal staples, paper clips, etc. removed.
  14. Documentation must include digital copies of photos and images (whether displayed in the final report or not). One print and one digital copy of the photo/image catalog must be included.

Artifacts 

  1. Artifacts must be clean and in stable condition.
  2. Artifacts must be minimally separated and bagged by material type that may require differing preservation environments (e.g., lithic, ceramic, metal, bone). Artifacts must be further separated by additional analytical categories to match the report.
  3. Artifacts must be contained within archival-quality bags (preferably 4-mil polyethylene). Plastic bags must not be overpacked (no more than 2/3 full). Artifacts requiring microenvironments should be properly packaged.
  4. Direct labeling of artifacts will be at the discretion of the collection owner or PI. Direct labels must follow appropriate archival methods and should include the trinomial site number. If artifacts are not directly labeled, piece plotted and other unique/significant artifacts must be in individual bags with individual tags displaying artifact ID and provenience information.
  5. Printed labels must be inserted into each bag (inner and outer bags) and include the following information: project name, trinomial site number, catalog number, date, artifact type/class/, field context and provenience info (unit, level, 3D coordinates, etc.), other essential information.
  6. Each bag should be directly labeled with the same information in #5.
  7. Conserved artifacts or artifacts requiring special consideration should be identified.
  8. Collection acquisition numbers will be assigned internally once UofL has officially accepted the collection for curation.
  9. For materials that do not meet these Curation Requirements, collection owners and/or agencies will have the option to enter into a revitalization contract agreement paying CACHe to bring the collection up to required standards. Fees associated with revitalization contracts are separate from and in addition to the one-time curation fee. Revitalization contract costs will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. 

Curation space is precious. We reserve the right to consolidate collections after 5 years to ensure space is used as efficiently as possible. We reserve the right to update the above policies to ensure we continue meeting and exceeding federal and industry curation standards.