1,720,970 research outputs found
Jackets, Pedestals, and Threats of Disassociation: Analysis of Tracking Systems for Unprocessed Materials in Museums
No full textCollection management means knowing what a museum has and where it is located. Unprocessed materials, such as jackets and pedestals, which are often located separately from their associated collections and require additional treatment before joining those collections, need to be treated as part of collections instead of being left out of collections management practices. Using the Roland Springs Ranch Locality-1 collection, four steps were undertaken to investigate whether using tracking systems on unprocessed materials can minimize disassociation and increase effectiveness in collections management. First, the extent of disassociation within the RSR-1 unprocessed materials was determined. Second, other institutions with unprocessed materials were surveyed to determine how they track these collections. Third, the current tracking in place was assessed and revised. Finally, a comparison of the old, current, and revised tracking methods determined which was most effective. The study found that disassociation can happen even in collections with effective tracking systems, but, without an effective tracking system, disassociation takes place to a much higher degree. When using the revised tracking system, collections management effectiveness was significantly improved.Embargo status: Restricted until 06/2027. To request the author grant access, click on the PDF link to the left
Do digital collections dream of electric provenience tags? Exploring the applicability of artificial intelligence in the context of the collections management of archaeological documentation
No full textMuseum collections, such as archaeological collections, are vital to the wellbeing of humanity. However, museum collections are constantly deteriorating due to entropy. Museums must attempt to preserve their collections by mitigating entropy through collections management. Dissociation is an effect of entropy that often impacts the documents that are part of archaeological collections. Digital transcription is a useful technique to mitigate dissociation within an archaeological collection. However, digital transcription of the documents within archaeological collections is unlikely due to a lack of resources as manual transcription is time consuming. This research attempts to implement artificial intelligence (AI) to transcribe automatically the documents within an archaeological collection. The applicability of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to a case study of an archaeological collection is tested through the quantitative measurement of accuracy and efficiency. It was concluded that the OCR program used in this research is not yet applicable to the collections management of archaeological documentation. It is likely that all free, non-online OCR systems available on the hard drive of a computer are not yet applicable. However, the technology associated with OCR and its accessibility is advancing at an accelerating rate. Therefore, it is likely that OCR will be a cornerstone tool in the collections management of archaeological documentation in the near future.Embargo status: Restricted from online display. To request the author grant access, click on the PDF link to the left
A Comparative Study of the Role of Firearms in American Western Heritage through Their Use on the Historic U-Lazy-S Ranch, Western Texas
No full textThe concept of cowboys in the Wild West using firearms has become a big part of what is considered American western heritage. This thesis examines the use of firearms by Anglo-Americans from 1876-1950 on the historic U-Lazy-S Ranch located along the eastern escarpment of the Llano Estacado in northwest Texas. The ranch provides a unique perspective on the Anglo-American settlement of northwest Texas because of its continuous record of settlement through the entirety of the research time period. Examining the archaeological evidence of firearm cartridges documented on the ranch and the modern heritage interpretations of the Wild West time period, the research question posed: is firearm usage in the historic settlement period of northwest Texas different from or similar to the constructed heritage of a “Wild West”? Examination of established western heritage literature was used to create a comparative understanding of the constructed Wild West narrative. The minimum number of firearms was then determined through the analysis of firing pin impressions and types of cartridges at each locality, this was then used to determine the use of firearms in the lives of Anglo-Americans. It was determined through the firearm evidence associated with each of the historic ranch’s occupational periods and the established western heritage literature that there was a definite trend and recognizable shift in the behavior and usage of firearms during the occupation period that was considered the Wild West.Embargo status: Restricted to TTU community only. To view, login with your eRaider (top right). Others may request the author grant access exception by clicking on the PDF link to the left
The development of late Paleoindian identity-based territories on the Southern Plains.
Get PDFProjectile point styles become more diverse across North America during the late Paleoindian period. Researchers have thought this increase in diversity is part of a regionalization process related to environmental change and/or an increase in population density. A decrease in mobility, reduced territory size, widening of diet breadth, and the formation of ethnic groups are potential results of regionalization. Each of these possible changes are interrelated, and are examined from the perspective of identity based territories in this dissertation.Carbon isotopes and pollen from 34GR4 supports previous research that a significant environmental change occurred ca. 11,000 RCYBP. This indirectly suggests an increase in population density more likely explains the development of more circumscribed territories. Excavation at the Howard Gully site uncovered a shallow side-notched point in association with one to two bison dating to ca. 10,200 years ago. This point style had previously not been well dated, and suggests interactions with eastern woodland groups where this point style is more common. Work at the Perry Ranch site uncovered evidence of a large bison kill, and a gully was used for trapping the bison. This provides a better context for the Perry Ranch site then what was previously known. Projectile point analysis identified possible territorial boundaries during the late Paleoindian period. Also a reduction in territory size during this period was evident. The sum of these results indicates that prior assumptions about the regionalization process during the late Paleoindian period are true. However, these are tentative results and the story will likely become more complex as we make new discoveries.A combination of excavation and analysis of surface collected projectile points from the Southern Plains were used for determining if late Paleoindians were becoming more regionalized. Excavations were conducted at Rattlesnake slough (34GR4), Howard Gully (34GR121), and Perry Ranch (34JK81) sites in southwestern Oklahoma to uncover chronological information, environmental data, and features. A total of 860 spear points from six localities and late Paleoindian sites across the Southern Plains were examined for delineating late Paleoindian territorial boundaries
Cataloging the Past, Capturing the Present: The Creation of a Virtual Catalog of Small Finds from Three Archaeological Sites in Northwestern Belize
No full textThis thesis is a digital archaeology study of “small finds” collected by the Chan Chich Archaeological Project (CCAP) and Belize Estates Archaeological Survey Team (BEAST) from two precolumbian Maya sites and two historic sites in northwestern Belize between 2012 and 2023. The artifacts analyzed here are all select portable material recovered from a variety of contexts. The artifact catalog follows previous studies of small finds in the Maya area and uses Tikal Reports 27A (Maholy-Nagy and Coe 2008) and 27 B (Maholy-Nagy 2003), and James Garber’s (1989) Cerros Artifact Report as templates for structuring the information. The goal of this thesis is to have the information stored electronically and to make the findings publicly via a virtual catalog. Cataloging the artifacts for future comparisons also allows for an update on 3D modeling in archaeology and preservation of cultural heritage using digital archaeology. This catalog uses a variety of digital techniques, such as augmented reality and creating a website, that address the 5 tenants of digital archaeology: preservation, education, ability to research, engagement and accessibility
Museum collections management with Google Earth and GIS
No full textMuseums serve their public by educating them with objects from their collections. Collections management is taken very seriously in this endeavor. Tools used to achieve proper collections management vary but databases serve as the most important tool for museums. Museum databases though are great for maintaining information. They lack the ability to support and use georeferenced data. This thesis will implement a database that can and use a goal and objectives to test its abilities. A case study is also being implemented with this thesis to exhibit the abilities of a geospatial database where it can surpass modern museum databases. The case study will support the Paleontology division of the Museum of Texas Tech University in the efforts in finding more Triassic river channels within the Dockum Group of West Texas. The results of the thesis with the case study will determine if a geospatial database can improve upon database practices for museums
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Ensuring Usefulness and Accessibility in Legacy Collections: Updating the 1932 Saddleback Ruin Collection
No full textThe care and management of legacy collections is an integral part of a museum’s obligation to collections stewardship. Legacy collections were assembled in the past and represent an individual’s life’s work or impactful period. However, legacy collections reflect previous standards of practice and often pose challenges for museums. Many legacy collections suffer from an absence of curatorial attention due to the time and personnel investment required to update them, leading to an increase in entropy. Entropy in museums is expressed as dissociation and results in loss of information and decrease in research value. Using the 1932 Saddleback Ruin Collection as a case study, this research explored what museums can do to ameliorate the effects of dissociation caused by entropy in legacy collections to create accessibility and ensure their usefulness for research.
Currently accepted collections management practices were applied to the Collection to determine their efficacy in reducing dissociation. Current policies and procedures were assessed for their effectiveness and clarity. Results indicated that no special methods were required to update legacy collections. As order was imposed, the Collection became accessible and usable for research. Therefore, this research and the methods described therein were determined to be effective in reversing dissociation and counteracting entropy, facilitating effective collections stewardship, and are applicable to other museums with legacy collections affected by dissociation
Disconnect Within the Museum Workplace
No full textObservations by museum professionals discuss a growing disconnect between museum staff and their administrators regarding work expectations. To determine if this divide is part of a developing trend or an isolated phenomenon, surveys were created for administrators and staff and sent to participating museums nationwide. The surveys consisted of questions that asked whether they (both the administrators and staff) have noticed or felt the gap. Once the data were collected and the issue(s) identified, potential solutions have been suggested for the museum field. These potential solutions include implementing training programs to help bridge the divide and bring awareness of burn out and other issues to the profession’s attention. Based on the findings of this study, many museums may be able to notice disconnect issue(s) before they have any serious consequences
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