While reading the textbook, I was constantly reminded of concerns that the Yager Museum here at Hartwick Campus is faced with when dealing with Archaeological material. Lavenda and Schultz explain that during an archaeological excavation "researchers record photographically and in writing all artifacts and features discovered and the stratigraphic layers exposed" (LS:170). While these protocols are in place now, when Willard Yager was excavating much of his Native American artifacts, he did not have access to the modern photography we have today. He did also not take detailed notes, or at least ones that we have today. Much of the archaeological material in the collection of the Yager does not have clear provenances and these objects are sometimes hard to put back into context. The Yager Museum also went through it's collections in the 1990's in accordance with NAGPRA rules.
While reading the textbook, I was constantly reminded of concerns that the Yager Museum here at Hartwick Campus is faced with when dealing with Archaeological material. Lavenda and Schultz explain that during an archaeological excavation "researchers record photographically and in writing all artifacts and features discovered and the stratigraphic layers exposed" (LS:170). While these protocols are in place now, when Willard Yager was excavating much of his Native American artifacts, he did not have access to the modern photography we have today. He did also not take detailed notes, or at least ones that we have today. Much of the archaeological material in the collection of the Yager does not have clear provenances and these objects are sometimes hard to put back into context. The Yager Museum also went through it's collections in the 1990's in accordance with NAGPRA rules.