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Collection Acquisition

All in-coming modern zoological comparative and soils materials are considered permanent acquisitions and are catalogued into the collections. This policy will now apply to botanical comparative materials as well. The EA Program ichthyological comparative material is supplemented by some specimens from the FLMNH Ichthyology Program that are cross-catalogued in both collections. These are permanently catalogued into the EA Program collections with both UF and EA Program catalog numbers.

Archaeological materials may be acquired on a temporary or permanent basis. Until December 2002, all archaeological collections were accessioned into the EA Program collections regardless of permanence. After January of 2003, only permanent collections will be accessioned into the EA Program collections. All incoming materials including permanent, long-term, and short-term loaned materials, will be provided with an EA Program Project number that will be used to track both collections and associated data and archival materials. The EA Program Project number becomes the EA Program Accession number for permanent collections.

Integrating Incoming EA Program Collections

Standard protocols must be followed before any modern or archaeological material can be integrated into the EA Program collections: fumigation, preparation and stabilization, cataloguing and numeric tracking, and collection storage and long-term protection.

Different procedures are followed for the physical integration and storage of comparative and archaeological materials depending on the material type and whether the material will be permanently accessioned or will be on long- or short-term loan. In general, temporary archaeological materials are stored in their original packaging, in unoccupied space on the compactor unit by geographic area (for zooarchaeological materials), and in the designated archaeobotanical and soils storage areas. Permanent comparative and archaeological materials are accessioned into the collections following standard procedures specific to each field and are stored on the compactors or in designated areas within the EA Program range. The majority of the zoological comparative collection is housed on compactors in a dual-purpose room that also contains original zooarchaoelogical data cards. Some zooarchaeological materials that have not been analysed are stored in off-site storage at the "pole barn" on the UF campus.

Zooarchaeological and soils specimens are catalogued by taxon subsequent to identification, using an 8-digit number that includes the site accession number. At this time, archaeological soil samples are catalogued prior to analysis using a 4-digit FMSS (Florida Museum Soil Sample) number. We are in the process of refining our cataloging system for our archaeobotanical materials to coordinate with a program-wide cataloging system. After identification, analysis, and cataloguing, data from each site/project are entered onto Excel spreadsheets that are (or will be) converted to Access and entered onto the EA Program master database.

To maintain the integrity of the collections, several important safeguards are implemented at all stages of the EA Program lab function. These include fumigation of all incoming material, strict attention to the appropriate disposal of biohazardous or hazardous materials, and storage of all collections in archival quality materials.

Use of Collections

The EA Program also regularly receives loans for research purposes, and loans material to other institutions for research and teaching. These loans can be categorized as in-house (within the Museum), to other departments on the UF campus, or to other institutions. They may be temporary (for return after research) or permanent (for example, for destructive analysis or permanent exhibits at the Museum's Powell Hall).