Museum Research Research Articles

Muuseumikogude potentsiaali kaardistamine päritolu-uuringute kaudu

This article focuses on the possibilities created through provenance research in the museum. Setting out current interest in provenance research against the backdrop of antiracist and decolonial movements such as Black Lives Matter and Rhodes Must Fall, the article focuses specifically on the history of research in ethnographic museums shaped by legislative acts such as NAGPRA in the USA, critical thinking about representational practices in anthropology, and collaborative work with originating communities. Using the Siberian collection acquired by Maria Czaplicka in 1914 and held at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford as a case study, I argue that broad-ranging and open-ended provenance research akin to anthropological fieldwork allows to uncover different narratives pertaining to museum objects. It enables to understand why and how the objects were brought to the museum, the kinds of epistemic realities they have helped to build but also to attend to different cultural meanings and realities embedded in these objects. A close historical study of the Czaplicka collection has added to our understanding of the nature of ethnographic research in the early 20th century, brought to attention immoral acquisition of grave goods and human remains during the Siberian expedition but also highlighted close relations between ethnographers and their Indigenous hosts. Contemporary fieldwork in Siberia and creative engagement with the collection have further broadened the understanding of the origin of these objects in relation to Evenki worldview and lived experience. Through such nuanced research, a “thick description” emerges that enables a museum interpretation that can speak to the emergence of drifts and fault lines in the society, bring different worldviews into one space, and within that space address topics of global concern.

Early Ordovician trilobites from Barnicarndy 1 stratigraphic well of the southern Canning Basin, Western Australia

Twenty-three trilobite taxa are described here from the Early Ordovician (Tremadocian to Floian) Nambeet Formation retrieved from the Barnicarndy 1 drillcore, Canning Basin, Western Australia. This includes one new genus, Veeversaspis gen. nov., and six new species: Asaphellus zheni sp. nov., Madiganaspis lauriei sp. nov., Norasaphus (Norasaphus) jagoi sp. nov., Rodingaia leggi sp. nov., Sanbernardaspis excalibur sp. nov., and Veeversaspis jelli gen. et sp. nov. This fauna can be divided into three stratigraphically distinct assemblages, the Apatokephalus sp.–Veeversaspis jelli gen. et sp. nov. Assemblage (2177.50–2382.94 m depth), Asaphellus trinodosus Assemblage (2030.07–2177.52 m depth), and Asaphellus zheni sp. nov. Assemblage (1595.83–2001.88 m depth). The two stratigraphically lowest assemblages are consistent with a late to latest Tremadocian age (both within the Paroistodus proteus Zone). The third, and highest, assemblage is consistent with a mid-Floian age (within the Oepikodus communis Zone). This systematic contribution refines previous biostratigraphic work based on an age-diagnostic conodont fauna and demonstrates the stratigraphic utility of using multiple taxonomic groups for more robust biostratigraphic age estimates. P.M. Smith [ Patrick.Smith@austmus.gov.au ], Palaeontology Department, Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, 2010, Australia, and Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia. H.J. Allen [ heidi.allen@dmirs.wa.gov.au ], Geological Survey of Western Australia, Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Mineral House, 100 Plain Street, East Perth, Western Australia, 6004, Australia.

Investigating gut contents of the leptocleidian plesiosaur Umoonasaurus demoscyllus using micro-CT imaging

The holotype of Umoonasaurus demoscyllus (AM F.99374) is one of the most complete plesiosaur skeletons ever discovered in Australia. It preserves a gastric mass in the pectoral girdle region that has not yet been documented in detail. Here, we use high resolution micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) to image the gut contents of this specimen. These comprise 17 vertebrae from an unidentified teleost, together with at least 60 rounded gastroliths averaging about 5 mm in maximum length. Our study demonstrates the potential for 3D tomographic imaging to investigate Mesozoic marine reptile diets and ecology. Joshua M. White [Joshua.white@anu.edu.au], Research School of Physics, Department of Materials Physics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; Australian Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia. Aleese Barron [aleese.barron@anu.edu.au], Research School of Physics, Department of Materials Physics, Australian National University, Canberra ACT, 2601, Australia; School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Banks Building, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. Matthew R. McCurry [matthew.mccurry@austmus.gov.au], Australian Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia; Earth and Sustainability Science Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales 2052, Australia; Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA. Tim Denham [tim.denham@anu.edu.au], School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Banks Building, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.

Remarks by the Academic Moderator of the Special Issue “Development and Research of Japanese Museums”

Remarks by the Academic Moderator of the Special Issue “Development and Research of Japanese Museums”

The earliest record of bowerbirds (Passeriformes, Ptilonorhynchidae) from the Oligo-Miocene of northern Australia

The bowerbirds (Passeriformes, Ptilonorhynchidae) are a family of Australo-Papuan songbirds that are renowned for their unique bower-building behaviour. Prior to this study, the fossil record of Ptilonorhynchidae was limited to late Quaternary remains from Victoria, Australia. A new genus and species of bowerbird is described here from the late Oligocene (ca 26–23 Ma) deposits of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, in Waanyi Country, Queensland, Australia. This fossil bowerbird is smaller than most extant species of bowerbirds, and represents the earliest known evidence of Ptilonorhynchidae, although its intrafamilial affinities remain uncertain pending additional material. A second, larger ptilonorhynchid is identified from the early Miocene (ca 16 Ma) of Riversleigh. These fossils considerably extend the temporal range of Ptilonorhynchidae, and indicate the presence of two species of bowerbirds in the Oligo-Miocene of northern Australia. The ages of these fossils are consistent with molecular estimates of the divergence time between Ptilonorhynchidae and its sister group, Climacteridae (Australo-Papuan treecreepers). The new bowerbird is the ninth species of passerine to be described from the pre-Pleistocene of Australia, and highlights the importance of the Riversleigh fossil deposits in our understanding of the early evolutionary history of passerines.Jacqueline M.T. Nguyen [jacqueline.nguyen@flinders.edu.au], Australian Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Sydney NSW 2010 Australia; College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide SA 5001 Australia; and South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000 Australia.

The Long View: Leadership at a Critical Juncture for “African Art” in America

The Long View: Leadership at a Critical Juncture for “African Art” in America

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH WORK OF THE MUSEUM AS THE MAIN DIRECTION OF MUSEUM ACTIVITIES (On a work experience example of the Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan)

Abstract. In this article, one of the main directions of museum work - research activities based on its fund collections - considered on the example of the oldest museum both in Kazakhstan and in Central Asia. This is primarily socio-humanitarian research of a source study nature, which focuses on the cameral processing, classification, identification and determination of the documentary properties of museum objects, as well as their scientific cataloguing. The research programs carried out by the museum demonstrate the museum's research activities, both in the development of specialized disciplines and in the popularization of the country's historical and cultural heritage. The focus is on museological case studies, which are intended to form new knowledge in the field of methodology of identification, collection, storage, processing of museum objects, as well as the study of museum collections as an important scientific source base. Materials and methods: The sources for the article were the materials of the results of several museum scientific-applied researches, based on the stock collections of Kazakhstan museums, which implemented by the staff of the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan within the framework of state tenders on program-targeted financing. Thus, the materials (sources) for the study were works of art and culture, in particular, the watercolor paintings of the first Kazakh professional artist A.Kasteev from the collections of the Central State Museum and other museums of Kazakhstan. The materials in this thematic project were studied as representing historical and ethnographic sources on the traditional culture of the Kazakh people. The materials of the research also include ethnographic objects on Kazakh traditional applied culture in the chronological range covering the end of the XVIII and the beginning of the XX centuries, as well as archaeological collections from the middle ages. In accordance with the different nature of museum objects, research methods appropriate to the profile of scientific study were used for example, systematization and classification of ethnographic objects from museum collections were applied thematically and problematically, as well as studying objects according to general typological features - typologization, identification, comparison of analogues, historical and cultural, contextual and other scientific methods. Historical-typological and comparative-contrast methods were used to analyze the main categories of archaeological material.

Small Museum Research Strategies at the Alaska State Museum

ABSTRACT The Alaska State Museum in Juneau is a small, remote institution that must lean heavily on cultivating relationships with experts in other disciplines, graduate interns, and conservation colleagues, as well as adherence to three interrelated guiding principles to carry out research with its limited staff, sole conservator, and small budget. The first principle is called comparative observation with known positives and negatives. Examples include using microchemical spot testing, polarized light microscopy, and x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry. The second principle is defined as a preponderance of the evidence and will be illustrated through the characterization of indigenous and archaeological objects such as the Alaska Fur ID project and generation of a collections care “What’s That White Stuff” blog for small museums. The third principle is referred to as collaborative consensus, using examples of testing of adhesives for collections labeling, treatments of waterlogged archaeological basketry, and ongoing research about dyes used in Chilkat robes combining the expertise of a local group of weavers with GCMS analysis performed at Portland State University through the Pacific Northwest Conservation Science Consortium serving to highlight this concept. This manuscript shows how adherence to these principles has generated practical research results for more than twenty years.

What would happen if?: A comparison of fathers' and mothers' questions to children during a science activity.

Parents' questions are an effective strategy for fostering the development of young children's science understanding and discourse. However, this work has not yet distinguished whether the frequency of questions about scientific content differs between mothers and fathers, despite some evidence from other contexts (i.e., book reading) showing that fathers ask more questions than mothers. The current study compared fathers' and mothers' questions to their four- to six-year-old children (N = 49) while interacting with scientific stimuli at a museum research exhibit. Results indicated that fathers asked significantly more questions than mothers, and fathers' questions were more strongly related to children's scientific discourse. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of adult questions for the development of children's scientific understanding as well as broadening research to include interlocutors other than mothers.

Thinking things through: reviving museum research

Thinking things through: reviving museum research

Seeing the Forest, Not the Trees – Crowdsourced Data Collection Methods for Sector-Wide Research

ABSTRACT Research that involves a large and broad sample of museums can produce a representative picture of the entire museum sector and lead to global insights that may not be attainable through a more local lens. However, many museum research projects use a small sample of museums, meant to represent the entire field. We propose a research method that distributes data collection across a broad swath of museums to provide local detail that can be used to assemble a collective picture on a topic of interest to the field. This method, called crowdsourced data collection, was used in a yearlong study of zoos and aquariums in North America, in which 95 institutions were asked to collect data for one to two survey modules per month. We hoped this approach would produce data comparable to data gathered with conventional methods and reduce burden on participating institutions. We found the method replicated nationally representative studies with two validated scales. While only one third of the institutions completed all modules, institutions typically did 8-9 modules, with only slight decreases in the probability of completing the study over time. These results suggest researchers can use crowdsourced data collection to reliably study the museum sector. We also discuss the challenges of this method for researchers and institutions participating as data collection sites.

Novel coprolitic records from the Silurian (Přídolí) Wallace Shale of New South Wales

Evidence of successful predation or scavenging in the fossil record represents important palaeobiological data to more thoroughly understanding extinct ecosystems. Shelly coprolites are particularly useful indications of durophagous predation in deposits, as they can have a higher preservational potential than their producers. Here we present a new shelly coprolite from the Silurian (Přídolí) Wallace Shale of New South Wales, Australia. This specimen contains abundant fragments of the trilobite Denckmannites rutherfordi Sherwin, 1968 that show limited disarticulation across exoskeletal sections. We propose that a pterygotid eurypterid was the most likely producer of this coprolite, although trilobites and fishes are not completely excluded as possible trace-makers. In documenting this specimen, we highlight that the Wallace Shale likely preserves a more complex palaeoecosystem than previously thought and renewed efforts to understand this deposit are needed in light of this new insight. R.D.C. Bicknell [rdcbicknell@gmail.com], Palaeoscience Research Centre, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia; P.M. Smith [Patrick.Smith@austmus.gov.au], Palaeontology Department, Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, 2010, Australia; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia; J. Kimmig [julien.kimmig@smnk.de], Abteilung Geowissenschaften, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, 76133, Germany.

Retracted] Research on Interactive Design Algorithm of Folk Museum Exhibit Map Based on Intelligent Wireless Sensor Network

With the continuous improvement of people’s living standards, people’s pursuit of material life and satisfaction of spirituality are also increasing, and the demand for culture and value orientation are also diversifying. As an important position of many cultural consumption places, museums have seen an unprecedented increase in their cultural radiation and public attention. In such a large social environment, the nature museum industry increasingly recognizes that to make full use of the role of museums and better reflects the characteristics of the industry, it is necessary to introduce visual image design into museums. However, visual imagery design in domestic museums is still in its infancy; only a few large national museums have adopted visual imagery design, while relevant research in small folk art museums is still rare. This paper takes Guangzhou Folk Museum as the research object, based on which a new model of interactive design of Guangzhou Folk Museum display map using intelligent wireless sensor technology is proposed, combining the industrial characteristics of folk art and the visual imagery characteristics of Guangzhou Folk Museum. By analyzing the performance of the core algorithm of this system, it is concluded that the performance of the system is very good. However, the application of this model can enable the Guangzhou Folk Museum to establish the brand image of Guangzhou Folk Museum and create more folk culture value in the face of new opportunities and challenges.

An Evaluation of a Bronze Pan with the Inscription BANNAF in the Pera Museum

The Collection of Anatolian Weights and Measures of the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation Pera Museum has an extensive selection of objects that provides information about the economic, social, and cultural life in Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and the Mediterranean regions. Part of the collection consists of equal arm balance scales and equipment of these scales. In this article, a bronze object from the collection, a scale pan dating back to the Roman period, is evaluated. This previously unpublished object is compared to other known examples of similar pans to determine its function, date the object, and examine the stamp on the pan. Since this object is the only known example of pans with BANNAF inscriptions in Turkish museums, it will greatly contribute to the understanding of pans with BANNAF inscriptions that will appear in future archaeological studies and museum research in Türkiye.

Public Viking Research in Museums and Beyond

Public Viking Research in Museums and Beyond

Japanese Collections by Anna E. Gluskina in the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography

Anna Evgenievna Gluskina (1904–1994) is known as an outstanding translator of Japanese poetry, teacher and educator, expert on Japanese culture, author of numerous academic articles and monographs. There are many well-known publications devoted to her life, her research and poetic work. However, her activities as a museum Japanologist, as well as her contribution to the formation and description of the Japanese collection of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography RAS (MAE), are still little known and underestimated. Meanwhile, Anna Evgenievna's debut as a professional Japanologist is connected with her work at the MAE; she spent almost 9 years of her life in the museum (1925–1933). During her academic trip to Japan in 1928, she acquired over 700 pieces that characterize various aspects of traditional Japanese culture, for the museum: Shinto cult objects, a variety of theatrical accessories including marionette puppets and kageboshi shadow theatre items, numerous traditional agricultural implements and fishing gear, peasants’ costumes and agricultural instruments as well as about 400 photographs and negatives. All these items were organized into 7 material and 6 photographic collections; the descriptions were made by Anna Evgenievna at a very high professional level and are distinguished by great accuracy; each item is provided with a detailed attribution and ethnic designation supplied with its Japanese character writing and indication of the circumstances of their acquisition. By the early 1930s, Anna Evgenievna had fully established herself not only as a professional Japanologist, but ethnographer and museum researcher, too; however, the dramatic circumstances intervening into the life of the MAE in 1933 had interrupted her activities in this field.

Exploring Responsible Research and Innovation in Museums Through Hands‐on Activities

AbstractResponsible research and innovation (RRI) is a framework for thinking about the implications of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) discoveries and innovations and shaping them in a way that is responsible to people, future generations, and the natural environment. In this paper, we present a project that engages museum visitors in learning about RRI through hands‐on activities inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein story, characters, and themes. We developed a learning framework describing strategies and outcomes for RRI in informal educational settings, then created a set of seven activities that embodied the framework and studied their implementation at 13 museums. Evidence from observations and interviews are consistent with the RRI learning framework and suggest a number of practical implications for its use in museums.

Museum Visitor Comfort When Sharing Personal Information for Evaluation

ABSTRACT The article answers the research question: under what conditions and with what methods would museum visitors feel comfortable (and not comfortable) sharing sensitive information for the purposes of museum research or evaluation? We ground our study in literature about sharing personal information in person, online, and in the context of digital marketing and social media. In our interviews of n = 114 science center visitors, we found that while majorities would share sensitive information in person with an evaluator, age and gender were important factors in predicting whether or not someone feels comfortable doing so in public settings or with tablet questionnaires. We then discuss the ethical importance of giving visitors choice in whether to and how to share their information for the purposes of evaluation.

Improving STEM Museum Accessibility in Pennsylvania for Diverse Communities

A baseline of scientific literacy among the general population is crucial for laypersons to be able to understand and evaluate data-driven recommendations for addressing public health and environmental crises. While updated formal education standards can help improve knowledge gaps for upcoming generations, they do not reach beyond K-12 students. Informal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) public learning spaces, including museums, can potentially have broader impacts; however, the benefits are limited by accessibility. Notably, there is a lack of policy regarding sociocultural barriers that may exclude underrepresented communities from science museums. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) has demonstrated a willingness to support museum research and resource development throughout Pennsylvania (PA). However, resource availability alone does not guarantee the capability to meet the needs of disadvantaged groups in STEM learning spaces. Thus, there is a need for policy to establish standards to make science museums both more accessible and culturally aware to effectively serve their purposes of public learning and engagement. We recommend that the PHMC requires museums to form diversity and inclusion committees to collect and implement community input about museum content and establishes a requirement for exhibit information to be available in multiple languages to increase visitor diversity and improve public learning outcomes.

New cicada fossils from Australia (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae) with remarkably detailed wing surface nanostructure

Australia hosts the richest diversity of extant cicadas in the world, but a scarcity of fossils means that little is known about their evolutionary history on the continent. Here we describe the first fossilized Cicadidae from Australia. Laopsaltria ferruginosa gen. et sp. nov., Burbungoides gulgongensis gen. et sp. nov. and Tithopsaltria titan gen. et sp. nov. were all found at McGraths Flat near Gulgong, New South Wales, a recently discovered Miocene Lagerstätte. These cicada fossils preserve remarkable detail, including setae and wing membrane surface structures. Wing size varies considerably between the three newly described species and, in T. titan sp. nov., reaches a maximum size beyond what is known from extant Australian cicadas (or any other known cicada fossil), indicating a disparate cicada fauna in Australia’s Miocene rainforests. Max Moulds [ msmoulds@gmail.com ], Australian Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia. Michael Frese [ michael.frese@canberra.edu.au ], Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Bruce, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia; Australian Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Health and Biosecurity, Black Mountain, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia. M. R. McCurry [ matthew.mccurry@australian.museum ], Australian Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia; Earth and Sustainability Science Research Centre, School of BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia; Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia 20560, USA.