Dirt to Display: Accessioning and Interpreting Archaeological Collections

ID: WMA2026_600

Track: Collections

In 2026 the Museum of Utah opened its doors to the public – and to archaeologists, as the first historical archaeology repository in the state. Using our new collections as case studies, this session will answer the questions of how archaeologists collect objects, what processes can be used to streamline the transition from archaeologist to collections manager, and how these collections may be used to bolster exhibits and educate the public.

Session Information

Format: Regular session/panel (roundtable, single speaker, etc.)

Uniqueness: This session focuses on historical archaeology collections, which have been overlooked in Utah until recently, and how archaeological collections are created before entering a museum.

Objectives:

1. Gain a better understanding of how archaeologists work in the field – how they choose what objects to collect or cull, how they organize the objects they collect, etc. This will help participants better understand their own archaeological collections.
2. Learn about the concepts of archaeological assemblages and archaeological context and how they can be used to interpret archaeological collections for exhibit(s).

Engagement: Audience members will mostly be listening and taking notes during the presentation, but we will also bring some objects as examples for them to observe and have an open Q&A session at the end.

Relationship to Theme:

Audience

Audiences: Curators/Scientists/Historians Registrars, Collections Managers 

Professional Level: All levels 

Scalability: These topics are not limited by museum size. Any museum with an archaeological collection – historic or prehistoric – can apply this knowledge of archaeological fieldwork and interpretation to their collections.

Participants