Saving the Past from the Future: Archaeological Curation in the St. Louis District

The St. Louis District, Corps of Engineers has been involved with the management of archaeological resources removed from District property for over 30 years. At least 92 collection-generating projects were completed during this period. Vast quantities of archaeological materials salvaged from these operations are now stored in the repositories of ten curatorial institutions in Missouri and Illinois. Over the years, Corps personnel have become increasingly aware of the inability of most institutions to provide the necessary collection maintenance and storage environment essential to the long-term preservation of these materials.

In an attempt to comply with ER 1130-2-433 and in anticipation of implementation of 36 CFR Part 79, the St. Louis District, Corps of Engineers conducted an inspection in 1988 of all curation facilities which house District collections. The purpose of the inspection was to:

1. Examine the facilities which curated District property.
2. Inventory District collections.
3. Determine if the District's curation activities were in compliance with existing federal laws and regulations.

The first task was to identify the numerous contracts negotiated by the St. Louis District over the past 30 years for archaeological salvage. An attempt was then made to identify reports and collections associated with the various contracts. A formal questionnaire (see Appendix II) was devised to elicit enough background information on the repositories to permit implementation of an efficient and adequate inventory of collections. Specific information was sought on a repository's capabilities of conforming to basic curatorial standards as specified in 36 CFR Part 79.

Current operational state of the repository and its plans for the future were of particular concern, especially its ability to standardize operations and maintain adequate control over District resources. Corps personnel then visited each repository, conducted interviews with curatorial staff, and personally inspected the collections and associated documentation.

In all, some 92 collections, totaling over 3,400 cubic feet of artifacts and associated records, are under the jurisdiction of the St. Louis District. These materials are stored in ten different repositories, seven in Illinois and three in Missouri. Several collections, which have since been returned, were located in repositories at the University of New Mexico, the University of Massachusetts, and Ohio State University. A number of outstanding collections have not been returned.

美国陆军工程兵团（Corps of Engineers）圣路易斯分局涉足辖区内出土考古资源的管理工作已逾30年，此间累计完成至少92项产出考古藏品的项目。从上述考古打捞工作中征集得到的海量考古资料，目前被收纳于密苏里州与伊利诺伊州的10家馆藏机构的库房中。多年来，兵团工作人员逐渐意识到，绝大多数馆藏机构无法为这批资料的长期保存提供必要的藏品维护与存储环境。

为落实《工程条例1130-2-433》（ER 1130-2-433），并为推行《联邦法规汇编第36卷第79部分》（36 CFR Part 79）做好筹备，圣路易斯分局于1988年对所有收纳辖区考古藏品的馆藏设施开展了全面巡检。本次巡检的目标如下：
1. 核查收纳辖区公有考古资源的馆藏设施；
2. 盘点辖区内全部考古藏品；
3. 评估本分局的馆藏管理活动是否符合现行联邦法律法规。

本次巡检的第一项任务，是梳理过去30年间圣路易斯分局为考古打捞工作签订的各类合同。随后，工作人员尝试识别与各合同相关的考古报告与藏品。我们设计了一份正式调查问卷（详见附录二（Appendix II）），以收集馆藏机构的背景信息，从而高效且全面地完成藏品盘点工作。调查重点围绕馆藏机构是否具备符合《联邦法规汇编第36卷第79部分》规定的基础馆藏管理标准的能力展开。

馆藏机构当前的运营状况与未来规划也是本次巡检的重点关切内容，尤其是其能否实现运营标准化，并对辖区考古资源实施有效管控。兵团工作人员随后逐一走访各馆藏机构，与馆藏工作人员进行访谈，并亲自查验藏品与相关文档资料。

总体而言，圣路易斯分局管辖的考古藏品共计约92组，涵盖超过3400立方英尺的出土文物与相关记录，这些资料被存储于10家不同的馆藏机构中，其中7家位于伊利诺伊州，3家位于密苏里州。另有部分此前曾存放于新墨西哥大学、马萨诸塞大学以及俄亥俄州立大学馆藏机构的藏品已完成归还，仍有若干优质藏品尚未完成归还手续。