Archaeological Collections Access Announcement
ANNOUNCEMENT
ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS
WILL RE-OPEN ON A LIMITED BASIS
starting January 3, 2011
Construction of the Center for New Mexico Archaeology, including a new repository for the archaeological collections of the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology, has been completed. Work to prepare the collections for the move to the Center continues, but there is not yet a timetable for occupancy of the repository. Funding to help prepare for moving the collections has been secured through grants from the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. However, our inability to replace departing staff due to state budget cuts, and the current hiring freeze on state employees which prohibits the Museum from adding grant-funded employees, have hindered our ability to take full advantage of this supplemental funding. These issues also significantly affect the ability of our staff to respond to research inquiries in a timely manner.
Collections will re-open on a limited basis on January 3, 2011. Access will be granted on a case-by-case basis. At least one month prior to the date you propose to visit collections, a completed “Request for Access to Archaeological Collections” form must be submitted to the Curator of Archaeological Research Collections, Julia Clifton, at julia.clifton@state.nm.us or P.O. Box 2087; Santa Fe, NM 87504. The Request form can be downloaded from this website in either an MS Word request or PDF request version. Submission of a request will not guarantee access, as some materials in the collections might not be available for extended periods of time due to re-housing efforts and the implementation of a conservation survey of the whole and reconstructed vessels. Circumstances may arise that will force the Museum to close the collections to researchers again. If that need arises, we will circulate a notice to that effect as soon as feasible.
We regret that NO WALK-INS will be accommodated, and NO LOAN REQUESTS for archaeological materials will be considered until further notice.
For more information, contact Julia Clifton, Curator of Archaeological Research Collections, 505-476-1268 or julia.clifton@state.nm.us