Moving and Transforming Care of One of the Largest Southwest Archaeological Collections: The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture's Move to the Center for New Mexico Archaeology

Abstract

Abstract After over two decades of planning and five years of conserving, packing, and moving, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture has finished the first two phases of the largest move of archaeological artifacts in the museum's history and quite possibly in the American Southwest. Framed within the historical background of evolving collection storage over many decades, the Archaeological Research Collections were moved from the Laboratory of Anthropology and another off-site storage location to a new state of the art off-site facility at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology (CNMA). Decisions that eased the overall move, including issues resulting from the move and how they were remedied, are discussed. Overall, this particular collections move demonstrates the capabilities that a small staff can have if given enough time, volunteers, and grant resources.