Purpose

This Collections Management Policy pertains to collections curated by the Museum of Anthropology at the University of Missouri including collections cared for by the American Archaeological Division. This policy establishes the rules and procedures for the acquisition, care, and use of collections to fulfill the mission.

All museum activities will be governed by and understood in relation to its mission “The Museum of Anthropology broadens understanding of human behavior, past and present, through research, interpretation, and preservation of ethnographic and archaeological materials.”

History

As early as 1885 the University of Missouri began accepting gifts of ethnographic materials. In 1902 these materials were organized into the Museum of Ethnology, under the auspices of the Department of Sociology. From 1932 to 1938 the holdings were known as the Anthropology Collection; the name Museum of Anthropology was formally adopted in 1939.

The American Archaeology Division (previously known as the University of Missouri Archaeological Research Division) was organized in 1946 by Dr. Carl Chapman. This was a program of salvage archaeology housed under the department of Sociology and Anthropology. The Department split into separate Sociology and Anthropology departments in 1965. After Dr. Michael O’Brien took over as Director of the AAD (1980), direct involvement in excavations ceased and AAD became solely a curation depository. By 2016, the AAD was folded under the Museum of Anthropology’s umbrella.

The Museum's American Archaeology Division (AAD) maintains archaeological collections, consisting of prehistoric and historic artifacts from various sites throughout Missouri. These collections are the result of cultural resource management, salvage, and academic excavations sponsored at various times by the University of Missouri (UMC), the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE), the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT), Fort Leonard Wood (FLW), and other federal, state, and public entities. As much as 70 percent of AAD's extensive collection is the result of decades of work in the Harry S. Truman, Mark Twain, Pomme de Terre, and Stockton Reservoirs.

Since its founding in 1939, the Museum of Anthropology has served the research and teaching needs of the University of Missouri, provided exhibitions and programs for the public, and served as an archaeological curation facility for the state of Missouri.

Governing Authority

The Museum is administered by a Director responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day operations of the Museum, and for management of its physical, human and financial resources. The Director reports to the Dean of the College of Arts and Science, University of Missouri. The Dean in turn reports to the Provost, the chief academic officer of the University, and thereby to the Chancellor of the University, appointed by the President of the University of Missouri System. The University of Missouri System is governed by an appointed and state-chartered Board of Curators.

The Museum operates within the administrative framework of the University, which sets rules regarding accounting, purchasing, human resource policies, benefits, and similar operational parameters. The Museum is given full autonomy in pursuing its mission, however, and the University does not set schedules, influence topics for exhibitions or decisions regarding the growth of the collections, or the character of curatorial research and interpretation.

The Museum generally achieves its mission best by working in close concert with the closely related units such as the Department of Anthropology and a variety of other academic programs on campus, leveraging its resources through access to the scholarship and teaching activities of other departments and schools, and advancing its audience-based initiatives by serving various academic audiences within the University and beyond.

Coordination with these other units is provided by a Museum Advisory Committee, appointed by the Dean, and representative of the Museum’s various constituencies. The Museum Advisory Committee serves solely in an advisory capacity, providing guidance to both the Director and the Dean. In addition to the Museum Director, the Advisory Committee consists of three members appointed by the chair of the Department of Anthropology, five or more faculty members from other departments, schools or colleges with expertise or interest in Anthropology, museums or cognate areas, and additional representatives from the community as the discretion of the Dean. Committee appointments are reviewed annually by the Dean and may be renewed.

The Museum of Anthropology Collections Committee is responsible for advising the Director on acquisitions, deaccessions, loans, and collections care. This committee is comprised of Museum staff, including the Director and all Curators and Collection Managers. This Committee meets monthly and as needed. If there is conflict between the Director and the Collections Committee, resolution shall be at the discretion of the Dean of the College of Arts and Science.

Collection Scope

The scope of the Museum’s collections includes anthropological, archaeological and ethnological objects which may broaden the understanding of human behavior, past and present. The extant collection includes objects from subject areas such as archery, Missouri prehistory and cultural life in the 19th and 20th century, and Native American material cultures. The museum also holds small collections of ethnographic material from South America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Associated with these subject areas are an anthropological and archery library as well as Missouri archaeological archives generated through the American Archaeology Division (AAD).

Acquisitions will give priority to existing strengths of the collection, including Missouri archaeological collections with provenience, archery and archery-related materials, and Native American material culture, or to needs identified through a regularly-updated institutional collecting plan. Donations of other ethnographic and archaeological material which improve the collections will also be considered. In reviewing possible acquisitions the committee will give due regard to the importance of the object or objects for advancing the Museum’s mission, the ability of the proposed acquisition to improve the collections or foster research, and the exhibition or interpretive potential of the acquisition, balanced against cost, space or storage requirements, required levels of care, and known or likely opportunity costs associated with the acquisition.

The University of Missouri Museum of Anthropology has two collection categories reflecting specific purposes and uses:

Permanent Collection - this collection is composed of objects used in anthropological and archaeological research and for purposes of exhibition and display. The primary consideration for these objects is maintaining the integrity of objects or collections.

Education Collection - this collection comprises objects used in education and outreach programs, hands-on demonstrations, as component parts to repair or create facsimile artifacts or as experimental specimens to further our understanding of preservation techniques. It is understood that objects in this collection are subject to greater risk through use and handling, and the primary consideration for these objects is maximizing the utility of objects or collections.

Acquisitions

General Principles for Acquiring Objects for the Permanent Collection

The Museum will continue to add to and refine its Permanent Collection in any area that is relevant to and consistent with the Museum's Mission Statement; objects may be added by means of gifts, bequests, purchases, transfers, or exchanges. The Museum recognizes that there are limitations of space and staff for the care and study of objects in certain areas.

The Museum will develop and implement an institutional collecting plan, outlining the areas in which it seeks to substantively develop its collections, main priorities for acquisition, and how acquisitions are planned, as well as addressing the ways in which these plans benefit the Museum's mission, mandates and audiences. This plan will be regularly revised and updated to reflect the changing needs of the Museum and the communities it serves. The Museum will not ordinarily collect works outside the areas defined in its institutional collecting plan.

Neither the Director nor any staff member may make a formal or informal appraisal for any object being considered for acquisition. This shall not preclude Museum staff from making internal estimates of value and worth for the purposes of establishing fair purchase price or best offer, or for scheduling of objects for internal insurance purposes.

The Museum will exercise due diligence in acquiring objects having good title that are warranted and represented to be free of all liens, encumbrances, and claims of any kind. The Museum will rigorously research the provenance of objects being contemplated for acquisition and make a concerted effort to obtain written documentation regarding the history of the object including applicable export or import documents and any other available information or documentation. Standard research on objects being considered for acquisition should include a request that the sellers, donors, or estate executors offering an object provide as much provenance information as they have available to ensure that the object or objects are not derived from illicit excavations or antiquities trafficking or were improperly appropriated during the Nazi era.

All acquisitions will comply with applicable laws--as well as treaties and international conventions to which the United States is a signatory--governing title, import and other issues critical to informed acquisitions decisions.

Objects considered for acquisition which were created in Central Europe before 1946 and which underwent a change of ownership between 1932 and 1946 will be reviewed to determine whether they may have been improperly alienated during the Nazi Era. The Museum will not knowingly acquire such material, and any acquisitions fitting these broad criteria will be listed on the Nazi-Era Provenance Portal.

Acquisition of antiquities requires documentation that the object was in the United States or had left its country of origin by November 17, 1970, the date on which the UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural property was signed. For objects exported or imported after November 17, 1970, the Museum will normally require documentation that the object was legally exported from its country of origin and legally imported into the United States. If the country of origin is unknown, the Museum will make a good faith effort to determine the country of origin and proceed accordingly.

Commercialization of antiquities poses a significant risk to world heritage, and the Museum will be sensitive to the material impact of purchases of antiquities or archaeological objects on the integrity of sites and monuments. The Museum will not normally purchase archaeological materials or archaeological collections. A decision on the purchase of archaeological materials or collections will be determined by the Director and in consultation with of the governing University authority over the Museum, the Dean of the College of Arts and Science.

Authorities

The appropriate Curator shall decide what object(s) will be considered for acquisition by the Museum's Collections Committee.

The Collections Committee shall make a recommendation to the Director on the acquisition.

The Director shall make the final decision to acquire or not acquire an object. In the event of a conflict between the Director and the Collections Committee, resolution shall be determined by the governing University authority over the Museum, the Dean of the College of Arts and Science.

Criteria for Acquiring Objects for the Education Collection

Curators, in consultation with the Collections Committee, may acquire objects for the Education Collection by means of gift, bequest, purchase, transfer, or exchange.

Objects that do not fall into established categories for the Museum's Permanent Collection or are of a tangential nature to the Museum's mission may be appropriate for acquisition into this collection.

Objects that are of genuine but inferior quality or condition or are of minor significance may be acquired.

Objects that are known to be forgeries or reproductions may be acquired for the Education Collection rather than for the Permanent Collection.

No object in the Permanent Collection can be reassigned to the Education Collection without first having gone through the formal deaccession process from the Permanent Collection.

The object must be consistent with the Museum's Mission Statement and all applicable codes of ethics.

The Museum must be able to give proper care to the object. The acceptance of an object should not result in an expense for conservation disproportionate to the usefulness of the object. The object must have a use in the foreseeable future.

A satisfactory provenance for the object must be established.

A valid deed of ownership or other instrument of title conveyance must be provided to the Museum from the acquisition source.

Donations typically must be made without restriction or encumbrance and must convey all rights, including copyright. Acquisitions must comply with all applicable local, state, federal, and international laws.

Acquiring Objects for Future Sale

Objects that will be held for a future sale may be acquired as commodities without being added to an accessioned collection. No object in the Permanent Collection can be reassigned for future sale without first having gone through the formal deaccession process from the Permanent Collection.

Deaccessions

The purpose of deaccessioning is to refine the collection, and in doing so help maintain the Museum’s mission. The deaccessioning process shall only be undertaken with a full understanding of the object’s significance and careful consideration of issues of public trust and expectations of donors.

Principles of Deaccessioning Objects from the Permanent Collection

Objects in the Museum's Permanent Collection are held in trust for the University community and the people of Missouri. These objects should be considered for their lasting value and not judged by changes in taste or styles of the times. From time to time, however, it may be deemed necessary and fitting to deaccession and dispose of objects in the collections. Great care must always be taken in making the decision to deaccession an object from the Permanent Collections. 

The deaccessioning of an object shall be conducted in the best interests of the Museum without compromising the highest standards of professional ethics, the institution's standing in its community, or its responsibilities to donors and their heirs. Objects may be deaccessioned and disposed of by means of sale, exchange, transfer, reassignment, repatriation, or destruction. No object in the Permanent Collection can be reassigned to the Education Collection without first having gone through the formal deaccession process from the Permanent Collection.

Neither the Director nor any staff member may make a formal or informal appraisal for others of any work of art being considered for deaccession. This shall not preclude Museum staff from making internal estimates of value and worth for the purposes of establishing fair purchase or auction reserve price.

Once the decision has been made to proceed with the deaccession, in the case of objects that were acquired by means of donations, Museum staff shall make a reasonable effort to notify donors of the withdrawal. This notification is not to be construed as a request for permission.

Funds realized from the sale of objects will be used for acquisitions only, either directly or through an endowed acquisitions fund.

Credit lines for an object or objects acquired with funds realized from the sale of deaccessioned object(s) shall carry the name of the donor or funding source of the deaccessioned object(s). When the names of multiple original donors are so numerous that practical considerations prohibit acknowledging all of them in the credit line for the newly acquired object, an abbreviated format may be developed by the Director in consultation with the Collections Committee.

Complete and accurate records, including photographs, shall be permanently maintained on each object removed from the Permanent Collection.

Special Considerations Regarding Disposal

If a purchased object is later determined to be a forgery, every effort should be made toward returning it to the vendor for credit or recovery of the purchase price.

If an object acquired through exchange is later determined to be a forgery, a reversal of the exchange should be sought.

Objects acquired by gift generally shall not be disposed of by sale to the original donor or donor's heir. This practice will, however, be reconsidered on a case-by-case basis. If the decision to sell a work to the original donor or donor's heir is made, then the selling price shall be the fair market value.

No person associated with the Museum, nor any representative or relative of such a person, may acquire an object or work of art deaccessioned from the Museum. This includes persons at present in the following positions, or who were in such positions within the last ten years: the Director, all staff members (paid or volunteer), or University governing authorities.

The disposal method shall be determined on a case-by-case basis, upholding ethical and legal principles. The preferred methods of disposal for non-NAGPRA related objects include the following:

• Transfer to Education Collection.
• Disposal or destruction of the object(s).
• Sale of the object(s) at a public auction.
• Donation and/or transfer to a public museum or archive.
• Donation and/or transfer to the most appropriate entity determined on a case-by-case basis.

Authorities

The appropriate Curator shall decide which objects will be considered for deaccession by the Museum's Collections Committee.

The Collections Committee shall make a recommendation to the Director on the proposed deaccession.

The Director shall, at his/her discretion, form an ad hoc committee of specialists who shall give a recommendation on the proposed deaccession.

Proposed deaccessions will be referred to the Museum Advisory Committee for review. In the event of differences between the Collections Committee, the Museum Advisory Committee, and the Director, any proposed deaccession will be reviewed by the governing authority, the Dean of the College of Arts and Science.

The Director shall make the final decision to deaccession or not to deaccession an object. Once the decision to deaccession an object has been made, the Director, in consultation with the Collections Committee, shall determine the means of disposal.

The reasons for the decision to deaccession the object and all necessary approvals will be recorded and permanently maintained as part of the Museum’s collections documentation.

Criteria for Deaccessioning Objects from the Permanent Collection

The object is not relevant or useful to the Museum according to the Museum's Mission Statement.

The object is of inferior quality or is insignificant in relation to other works of the same type in the collections. It is recognized, however, that even a work of modest quality may have sufficient study or teaching value to warrant its retention.

The object is in such poor condition that conservation is not feasible or will render the work essentially false.

The authenticity, attribution, or genuineness of the object can be shown to be false or fraudulent, and the work lacks sufficient scientific merit, or intellectual importance to warrant retention. Such a work, however, may be retained in the Permanent Collection if it has continuing worth in fulfilling the Museum's mission.

The object is subject to legitimate repatriation, disposition, or restitution claims under applicable state, federal, and international laws.

It can be proven that the Museum does not possess good title to the object.

Loans

Outgoing Loans

Principles

• The Museum may lend objects from its Permanent Collection or its Education Collection to further the knowledge of anthropology and to provide broader public accessibility to works that it owns.

• The borrower must be a recognized museum or other related institution.

• Objects may not be lent to individuals for personal use.

• The Museum will not loan works for commercial purposes.

• The borrower must meet acceptable handling, security, and environmental standards.

• Loans must be consistent with the Museum's Code of Ethics and applicable standards in the museum community.

• Loans must be consistent with the long-term preservation of the works and with the Museum's collections, research, exhibition, publication, and education needs.

Duration of Loan

The duration of a loan must be determined before the loan is approved, which will normally be one year. Loan extensions may be sought by a borrower and will be considered upon request by the Collections Committee and approved or disapproved by the Director.

Responsibilities of the Borrower

1. All costs of the loan, which may include, but are not limited to packing, crating, shipping, couriers, special photography, special conservation, special deinstallation and reinstallation procedures, special preparation or framing, and wall-to-wall insurance. The costs of minor conservation treatment necessary prior to a loan may be absorbed by the Museum or passed on to the borrower at the Museum’s discretion.
2. Loan fees, separate from the costs listed above but with the exceptions as noted below, to offset a portion of the costs incurred in administering the loan. A schedule of loan fees shall be set and periodically reviewed by the Director in consultation with the Collections Committee. A loan fee is generally not charged to any institution in the State of Missouri. In addition to institutions in Missouri, loan fees may be waived or reduced for other institutions with which the Museum has a history of making reciprocal loans, with which the Museum plans or hopes to make reciprocal loans, or from which the Museum hopes to gain other benefits.
3. Securing insurance for the borrowed work. In some cases, the Museum may choose to maintain its own insurance on the loaned object and in such cases the Museum may charge the borrower a premium, if applicable.
4. Providing photographs of the piece as installed, if used in an exhibition, both as a record and so that the Collection Manager may assess the condition of the work and the manner in which it is displayed. Photography and/or other means of reproductions by a borrower of loaned works, and the rights to use same, must be approved by the Museum. Exceptions are allowed for photography for condition reports, record purposes, or general installation views for publicity purposes.
5. Acceptable handling, security, and environmental standards must be maintained during transportation of the object. These may include the use of couriers and/or climate-controlled crates or vehicles.
6. Credit line for a loaned object, as specified by the Museum, must be used by the borrower.
7. If a publication is generated by a loan, the Museum must have a copy provided for its records.

Authorities

All requests from borrowers for loans, or requests from current borrowers for extensions of existing loans, shall be relayed to the Collections Committee by any of its members.

The Collections Committee shall make a recommendation to the Director to grant or deny the loan or the loan extension.

The Director shall make the final decision to grant, deny, or extend a loan.

Photography and/or other means of reproduction of loaned works, with the exceptions noted under the section of Ethics, concerning Replicas, may only be granted by the Director in consultation with the appropriate Curator.

The Director in consultation with the Collections Committee shall decide whether or not a courier will be required to accompany a loan. The Director shall appoint the courier. If the borrower requests to provide its own courier, the Director in consultation with the Collections Committee shall make the decision to accept or deny the request.

Criteria

The following factors shall be considered by the Collections Committee in reviewing loan requests:

• Scholarly or educational significance of the requester's project.
• Publication by the borrower that will further knowledge of the object.
• Culturally sensitive nature of the object.
• History of previous loans to the requesting institution.
• Likelihood of the requesting institution making a future reciprocal loan or providing other benefits to the Museum.
• Political stability of the borrowing institution and its geographic region.
• Support of a local institution.
• Time the Museum has in which to process the loan adequately ––typically at least four months is required prior to the outgoing shipping date.
• Possible scheduling conflicts involving this object and the Museum's own exhibitions, education programs, or other commitments.
• Frequency of previous loans of the work
• Condition of the object with regard to the rigors of travel.
• Necessity of conservation treatment for the object.
• Method of shipment and quality of crate or other shipping media required.
• Necessity of a courier.
• Other special needs of or circumstances relating to the object or objects, including cost.

Incoming Loans

Principles

• The Museum may solicit and/or accept on loan or deposit objects from outside sources for purposes in keeping with its mission, such as exhibition, teaching, research, publication, consultation, or consideration as a prospective donation or purchase.

• The impact that a proposed loan may have on the overall operation of the Museum shall be taken into consideration. If the loan will place an undue hardship on the Museum, the merits and drawbacks of the request for, or acceptance of, a loan should be carefully weighed.

• The Museum must have the ability to assure the preservation and security of the object. This includes an acceptable environment, handling by trained staff, adequate guard protection, electronic security measures, fire detection and suppression systems, disaster preparedness and mitigation, and appropriate shipping including the use of couriers, if required.

• The Museum must adhere to any requirements that are stipulated by the lender as part of the loan agreement, to the degree possible under applicable law.

• The Museum does not normally accept loans for storage; the exception being for fee curation through the American Archaeology Division. In some instances the Museum may agree to store objects as part of reciprocal agreements with other museums or public entities; the benefits of doing so must be carefully weighed and the appropriateness of the loan relative to the Museum's mission deliberately considered.

• All incoming loans or deposits, solicited or unsolicited, shall be accompanied by appropriate forms or written documents that are maintained by the Collection Manager; all loans or deposits shall be periodically reported to the full Collections Committee.

• Loans must be consistent with the Museum's Code of Ethics. The Museum shall examine the lender's relationship to the institution to determine if there are potential conflicts of interest, or an appearance of a conflict, such as in cases where the lender has a formal or informal connection to the Museum.

• The Museum shall also consider the ethical implications of borrowing specific objects in terms of the illicit trade in antiquities or claims of restitution or repatriation.

Duration of Loan

All incoming loans shall be for a specified duration, unless it is mutually agreed between the lender, which will normally be one year. The continuation of long-term loans shall be reviewed annually.

After the loan duration has expired and after all efforts to return it have failed, a loan becomes unclaimed and shall be treated as abandoned property. Such property shall be dealt with according to the stipulations of the relevant sections of the State of Missouri's Revised Statutes 184.111–184.122.

Museum staff should make efforts to determine the costs for a loan in advance. These costs may include, but are not limited to, packing, crating, shipping, couriers, special photography, special conservation, wall- to-wall insurance, and any expenses the lender may incur and transmit for special deinstallation, preparation, photography or framing.

The lender's requirements concerning photography and reproduction rights shall be honored. In the absence of lender's written requirements, the Museum shall set forth such terms in agreement with the lender.

Credit line for a loaned object, as specified by the lender, must be used by the Museum.

Authorities

Only members of the Collections Committee may accept an unsolicited loan as a temporary deposit. A signed Temporary Loan Receipt will accompany each deposit.

The Curators shall submit to the Director their requests to solicit loans or extend existing loans. Any member of the Collections Committee may submit to the appropriate Curator requests to solicit a loan or extend an existing loan. The Curator shall report such submissions to the Director and shall make a recommendation concerning the request as well.

The Director shall make the final decision to approve or disapprove a request to solicit a loan or to solicit the extension of an existing loan.

Criteria

The following factors shall be considered in reviewing requests to solicit an incoming loan:

• Scholarly or educational significance of the project.
• Publication by the Museum that will further knowledge of the object.
• Culturally sensitive nature of the object.
• Benefits or drawbacks that may be involved for a loan from a commercial concern, and the appropriateness of such a loan.
• History of previous loans from the prospective lender.
• Political stability of the lender and/or its/his geographic region.
• Method of shipment.
• Necessity of a courier.
• Ability of the Museum to insure the object.
• Cost of loan to the Museum.

Objects Left or Abandoned at Museum

Any objects received by the Museum without Collections Committee approval and/or without a signed Temporary Object Receipt will be treated as abandoned property. To accession the abandoned material into the Permanent or Education collection will be determined by the Director with Collections Committee recommendations.

Objects abandoned at the Museum or unsolicited objects mailed to the Museum may be returned to the Sender at their own expense.

Collections Care & Control

The Museum, through its Curators and Collection Managers will maintain accurate and up-to-date records on the identification, location, condition, insurance valuation, and history of all objects in the Permanent and Education Collection. The Museum will also keep documentation on current activities such as correspondence with donors, scholars, and artists, and activities like loans to and from the museum, exhibitions, and research. The retention of accurate up-to-date records is a major responsibility of the Museum, and one of the primary means by which the Museum demonstrates and maintains intellectual control over its holdings.

The Museum’s routine procedures for collections care will include database management, upgrading conditions for collection storage, maintaining the appropriate environment for collections preservation and use, and appropriate conservation practices. These collection procedures will be constantly revised to reflect the most up-to-date museum standards of care and ethics.

As an anthropology museum, the museum has a special responsibility to acquire, care for and interpret all objects with sensitivity to their cultural origins.

Access to Collections and Records for Research

The collections are an educational resource and thus will be accessible for legitimate scholarly research subject to procedures necessary for the safety and security of the individual objects.

Access to the collection and archives can be granted by Museum staff to individuals who demonstrate a serious and legitimate purpose for their request.

Research and access to collections subject to NAGPRA will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the Director with recommendations provided by the NAGPRA coordinator.

Archives associated with archaeological site locations will be restricted to professional and academic access, with approval for access determined by the Director with recommendations by the appropriate Curator.

Access to storage and archives is limited to those who are accompanied by Museum Staff.

Collections Display

Collections will be displayed at the Museum’s galleries with concerns paid to the preservation, security, and the ethical implications of displaying those objects.

Objects from the Museum’s collections may not be displayed in offices or other non-gallery areas except for scholarly presentations. Objects may not be used as decorations for special events.

Destructive Sampling

Destructive Sampling has the potential to destroy or severely alter the object, and thus the Museum will weigh the benefits of the research results with the concerns of the object(s) preservation.

Requests must be made by a formal written proposal to the Director describing the methods of analysis, type and amount of material requested, research questions, expected results, and anticipated method of publication. In addition, the request must justify why destructive analysis is critical to answering the proposed research question, why non-destructive analysis is inadequate, and a complete justification why these specific materials are vital for the proposed research.

Outside peer review may be requested by the Director in the event that the destructive analysis will completely destroy the requested material, especially in the case of rare or irreplaceable objects.

Museum approval of destructive analysis of objects and human remains that are affiliated under NAGPRA is contingent upon the written approval of lineal descendants or culturally affiliated American Indian tribes.

Destructive analysis on unaffiliated remains is contingent on the outcome of consultation with potential claimants.

Requests will only be considered from recognized institutions or credentialed scholars.

Copies of all reports and publications upon completion of analysis must be deposited with the Museum. The Museum reserves the right to publish results if the researcher fails to do so within 5 years.

Conservation Treatment

Museum staff, interns and volunteers shall not perform repairs or conservation treatment on permanent collections objects unless prior approval from the Director is given.

Conservation treatment can only be authorized by the Director, with recommendations from the Collections Committee, with priority given to objects to be exhibited, that are rare or irreplaceable, or to prevent total loss. If there is conflict between the Director and the Collections Committee, resolution shall be at the discretion of the governing University authority over the Museum, the Dean of the College of Arts and Science.

Any conservator hired to treat museum collections objects shall be a member of the American Institute for Conservation or similar professional association, and will have demonstrated expertise in the appropriate type of material.

Any conservator hired to treat museum collections objects will be asked for a resume and a portfolio or references from institutions for which they have they provided treatments.

The conservator will send a proposal to the Collections Committee detailing the treatment and cost of any necessary repairs before treatment can by authorized by the Director.

Replicas

Replicas of collection objects for commercial use may be made only with the written permission of the Museum Director, after fee negotiations have been concluded and after the Director has approved a sample copy of the replica. Only the Director may grant exclusive commercial replication rights for a specified period; execution of any contracts must be made through appropriate University authorities. The Director will consult with the University’s Business Office regarding any contracts.

The Museum must have full title or rights to objects being considered for replication.

All aspects of the replication must be carried out in a manner that will not discredit either the integrity of the Museum or the intrinsic value of the original object. The replica must be permanently identified and not be misrepresented in any manner as an original artistic or archaeological object.

The Museum reserves the right to deny replication permission to any applicant whose product is not acceptable for any reason, as well as to refuse permission for further applications from a firm, if, in the Museum’s opinion, acceptable standards of reproduction or professionalism have not been maintained in the past.

Photography and Image Use

All photography of objects in the collection must be approved by Museum Staff and made by Museum staff or a photographer approved by the Museum Staff and provide appropriate credit lines. Approval of photography will be subject to cultural sensitivity.

Photography is allowed in the museum galleries, but without flash and tripod use.

The use of photographs in publications, social media, and commercial activities is subject to restrictions and require written approval from Museum staff.

Security

The Director will formulate security polices and all staff will be trained in those policies.

Museum staff will follow security procedures and policies set forth for the museum’s collection storage and museum galleries.

All Curators will prepare reports for security concerns in the museum gallery as well as incident reports if security breaches occur. The Collection Managers will prepare reports if damage to objects occurs. These reports will be provided to the Collections Committee.

Security and Emergency policies will be reviewed with all staff annually in May.

Ethics

Museum collections are held in the public trust, and Museum staff will strive to care for collections as stewards. All museum activities will reflect museum’ staffs commitment to our public trust responsibilities. More information on Museum ethics and standards is available in the Museum’s Institutional Code of Ethics.

Personal Collections

Objects that are not on loan or being donated are not to be stored or housed at the Museum.

Museum staff cannot generate personal collections which would compete with the Museum’s ability to acquire objects fulfilling its’ collection scope.

Museum Staff are not allowed to participate in any potential conflicts of interest such as personal collecting, dealing, and gifts.

Native American Remains, Sacred Objects, and Objects of Cultural Patrimony

It is the University of Missouri Museum of Anthropology’s intent and policy to comply with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, 25 U.S.C. §3001-13 (1990), 104 Stat. 3042, P.L. 101-106 and subsequent amendments. In carrying out the legal requirements stipulated by these laws, the Museum will work collaboratively with Native communities and government organizations to provide the highest standard of care and ensure the most appropriate use of these collections. The Museum will strive to balance its mission of public education and research with proper treatment and respect for sensitive materials.

NAGPRA requires that museums, under certain circumstances, repatriate to lineal descendants, federally recognized Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, cultural items defined as Native American human remains, unassociated funerary items, items of cultural patrimony, and sacred items. The Museum will work with tribes and the National NAGPRA office to better assess which items in the Museum’s collection may be contaminated with pesticide residues. The Museum will not knowingly repatriate contaminated items without disclosing to the tribe information about their contamination. See Appendix A for Tribal Consultation and Repatriation of Culturally Sensitive and Sacred Materials policies and procedures.

The Museum will comply with the Missouri Revised Statute, section 194.400-410, of the Unmarked Human Burial Sites Act. This state law provides protection for human remains on private lands in Missouri. This law states that any human remains found on private land will not be intentionally disturbed, will be treated in a respectful manner, and be reported to the State Historic Preservation Office.

It is the policy of the Museum to decline any offer of indigenous human remains from private individuals and refer private individuals to contact the State Historic Preservation Office.

If the Museum becomes an involuntary recipient of human remains, the NAGPRA Coordinator will contact State Historic Preservation Office and process the materials as a loan.

Any discoveries of undocumented human remains found in collections will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Access, handling, and photography of sensitive specimens will be on a case-by-case basis and informed by ongoing consultation.

Cooperative Curation Agreements

As a federally approved archaeological curation facility in Missouri, the American Archaeology Division (AAD), located at the Museum Support Center, is a major research center for the study of American archaeology. The AAD serves as the repository for the majority of archaeological material produced from the myriad research and educational projects and federally mandated cultural resource management projects conducted in the state.

The Museum of Anthropology will follow the most recent and up-to-date federal curation guidelines.

The AAD for-fee curation will primarily focus on material from projects conducted in Missouri. AAD requirements for accepting collections for fee include:

• A statement of ownership at the time materials are delivered for curation must be included. The statement must clearly indicate the agency or entity that holds legal ownership or responsibility for of the materials.
• Copies of contractual agreements between the archaeological contractor and the contracting agency must accompany the materials delivered for curation.
• The Museum may temporarily accept Native American human remains and objects specified under the Act for the purposes of identification, attribution, legal custody, or in order to facilitate transfer to a tribe.
• Any field records, maps, photographs, negatives, and other documentation pertaining to the collection and its context must be included.

The AAD maintains the right to accept or reject any collection due to its size, nature, or lack of adequate documentation.

Unless explicitly waived by the Museum director, all collections accepted under cooperative curation agreements must allow for research, loan, and exhibition in accordance with Museum policies and procedures.

If there is any damage, change to condition or status of collection, the AAD will consult with the deposited.

Changes to requirements regarding curation guidelines, standards, and/or conditions occurring after a collection has been accepted for curation may necessitate additional fees.