Curation Research: Looking Back to Move Forward

FSJ Friends!

I hope everyone enjoyed the crazy April showers. While the rain isn’t good for field work, it is great for curation research and planning!

Figure 1. The Michigan History Center showcases wonderful exhibits
for all ages and hosts a variety of education programs and events
 throughout the years. If you haven't attended their event for
Michigan Archaeology Day, typically held in October,
 make sure to do so this year!

As I mentioned in my last blog, I had the opportunity to visit the repository for Michigan’s State Historic Preservation Office and chat with Dean Anderson, State Archaeologist, Stacy Tchorzynski, Archaeologist, and Jessica Yann, Archaeology Graduate Student Assistant. Most of the archaeological artifacts in the State of Michigan’s care are located at the Michigan History Center (Figure 1). Jessica informed me that the State cares for around 3,000 collections from terrestrial and underwater archaeological sites in Michigan. These include items from state-owned lands, donated collections from sites in Michigan, and collections from cultural resource management firms or government agencies resulting from work to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.  For those who aren’t familiar with Section 106, the law requires an assessment of any federal undertaking so that its potential impacts on an historic properties (e.g., building, bridge, lighthouse, prehistoric or historic archaeology sites, etc.) can be examined and commented on by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. From these evaluations and in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, and Native Tribes, preservation requirements are determined for the project if it is to move forward. For more specific information, here is a link that I think sums up Section 106 nicely:https://www.nps.gov/history/tribes/Documents/106.pdf. . 

During my visit, Jessica gave me an informative tour of the collection storage room. She showed me the various options used to store the collections, including archival cabinets, display cases, and storage boxes placed on metal shelving (Figure 2). We also discussed the room’s security access and its environmental regulations. Finally, Jessica told me a little bit about the new collection database that the State Historic Preservation Office was using. Previously, they had used the Argus database, the collection management system used by the Mackinac State Historic Parks. However, within the last few years a decision was made to switch to a new digital platform. This new system has the same recording categories (e.g., catalog number, site, provenience, material type, function, storage location, count, weight, description, etc.) as Argus and Past Perfect, but the screen layout is slightly different and there are some new map functions. One aspect that appealed to me was the fact that the database can be accessed online for those with appropriate credentials. How exciting! While there are still a few kinks to work out with this database program, it will be interesting to hear more about its capabilities as it continues to be developed.

Figure 2. These archival cabinets provide many options for storing collections. Artifacts that are fragile or frequently asked about are placed in display cases by the staff members to add another layer of protection. 

Through this project and from my own life experience, I have found that to look forward and explore new options for whatever your task may be, you must know from where you began so you can appreciate how far you have come. So, I reached out to a former Project member, Erin Claussen, who played a crucial role in setting up the management system the Project currently uses. She provided a lot of background information that let me take a step back to better understand the development of the collection’s organization, specifically in regards to the archaeological artifacts.

Initially, the artifacts were organized by Project members according to their three-digit accession number which details the excavation year, site number, and catalog number. For example, the accession number 18-2-1 indicates that the associated artifacts were recovered in 2018 from the second site excavated that year by the Project and that these specific artifacts were the first to be collected. Accession numbers have and continue to provide a link to the information recorded about each artifact as they were documented on a field specimen log and on the corresponding excavation field notes. After the field season, the artifacts were transferred (on loan from the Fort St. Joseph Museum, now the Niles History Center) to the archaeology lab at Western Michigan University so the Project could perform an inventory of the material recovered. The inventory included information regarding the artifacts’ accession number, spatial location, material type, function, description, count, weight, and other useful notations. Following inventory, the artifacts were transported back to the, then, Fort St. Joseph Museum for storage and long-term care, maintaining the accession number method of organization. Each year’s inventory was recorded in separate Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, requiring researchers to search each file individually for the information they were interested in.

After a decade of excavation, the Project began to rethink this organizational method, recognizing the vast amount of materials represented in the collection and the collection’s research potential. In 2010, Erin assisted in developing a management plan for the Project in her master’s thesis, “Fort St. Joseph 1.0: Creating a Comprehensive Information Management Scheme for the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project.” Erin implemented the tools needed for the Project to begin recording the artifacts’ information in the collection management system Past Perfect and helped in reorganizing the collection by raw material (e.g., iron, brass, fauna, etc.) and function (e.g., activity, tool, etc.) rather than by the artifacts’ accession numbers. The collection reorganization and recording in Past Perfect was a large undertaking for the Project and the, then, Fort St. Joseph Museum. Members of the Project worked on the tasks over the course of a few years to complete the transition.

Currently, inventory information is entered each year into Past Perfect as well as logged on an Excel spreadsheet. Some photographs are taken of various artifacts and stored on the archaeology lab’s computer. After these steps are completed, the artifacts are taken to the Niles History Center and integrated with artifacts found in previous years. For the most part, the Project and Niles History Center have continued using Erin’s system with some success as members have maintained this organization for the archaeologically recovered artifacts. There are some problems, however, with the system that have become apparent over the years and now need to be addressed. I will provide more details on this topic in my next post!

While there is more that can be gleaned from resources that have not been discovered just yet, the research gathered in Phase 1 of this curation project has provided a useful start. As our own collection challenges have come to light as well as potential future problems, it is now time to begin developing a specific plan of action.

Stay tuned for more updates,

Erika Hartley

Integrating Artifacts into the Collection

Hello Buddies! Rae here, back again and pleased to announce that I will be returning to Fort St. Joseph as the lab coordinator for the 2019 field season! I am so excited to continue working with the Project for another summer!

This year I had the opportunity to help take part in the collections integration process of Fort St. Joseph’s 2018 artifacts. It was a new process for me and there was definitely a period of figuring things out before I got the hang of it. After many hours spent inventorying by Dr. Nassaney and the rest of the FSJ crew, all of the artifacts from the 2018 field season were ready to be integrated into the permanent collection at the Niles History Center. Meghan, Cameron, and I packed up all of the artifacts at WMU’s archaeology lab and headed down to Niles!

In addition to the 2018 artifacts, we also brought all of the float samples from a couple of years that had still been at the archaeology lab at WMU. The float sample was also going to be given a new home in the collection and be transferred into new boxes! Once we arrived at Niles, we got to work putting together the new boxes. The float sample collection is organized by accessions. Within the accession there are the high fraction and low fraction samples. The collection was re organized into its new boxes and then we were able to start integrating the 2018 artifacts!

A few boxes of the permanent collection laid out while
 we were integrating the 2018 artifacts.
Photo courtesy of Raegan Delmonico.

Now a little background on artifact organization! All of the artifacts are sorted and cleaned by the students at the field school. They are separated by material, but all of the materials in the same accession are kept together, basically it is one big bag full of a bunch of smaller bags.  However, the collection in Niles, is sorted by material. All of the smaller bags from within each accession are then sorted into larger boxes, with all of the other bags of that same material in the entire collection. For example, we take all of the little bags of calcine bone and put them in a box of all of the other bags of calcine bones from all of the accessions throughout the years of excavation. The entire process wasn’t difficult but organizing it all in your head can be a little intimidating. It was definitely a good experience to have and a chance to learn something new!

Voyageur Culture and Pipe Smoking: A Lecture by Dr. Rob Mann

Dr. Brandão, Dr. Mann, Dr. Nassaney, and myself
after Dr. Mann's lecture. Photo courtesy of Cameron Youngs.

Hi everyone, this is Cameron again, and I’m a senior here at WMU. This week I’m writing to you about a public lecture I listened to a few weeks ago, given by a visiting archaeologist, Dr. Rob Mann from St. Cloud University. The presentation was about his research about the North American fur trade, but more specifically about the voyageurs and their pipe smoking habits. To me this presentation was 

really informative because it taught me more about the voyageurs, their occupation, their life ways, and the various dimensions that pipe smoking meant aside from its leisurely connotations. Which is a subject that I have found to be interesting, and it is my intention to share what I have learned with you guys!

As many of you probably know, the voyageurs were French Canadians who transported furs and trade goods along waterways, between forts or trading posts to Native Americans, who exchanged the furs for the European trade goods. But to the voyageurs, this was not merely just an occupation, but a way of life in which they had a deep sense of pride. Navigating along the rivers in the backcountry was dangerous and took its toll upon those who had the grit to pursue such an occupation. The average life expectancy for an individual that survived the day to day hazards was short for today’s standards, and the typical voyageur did not live past their forties or fifties. Their prowess in navigating the backcountry and braving the dangerous rapids along their trade routes meant voyageurs were highly sought after by many fur trading companies.

But what I didn’t know before this lecture, was that being a voyageur was not just an occupation, but it was also a unique class-based ethnic identity within the broader spectrum of French-Canadian culture. Within the class-based hierarchy of the French fur trade industry, most voyageurs would have occupied the lower echelons. This status hierarchy is salient while glancing at the roles and seating placement of the voyageurs within a canoe among its other occupants. Most voyageurs would paddle in the middle and were designated as the milieau, and thus they were at the bottom of the status hierarchy. And above them was the gouvernail, which translates to rudder, directing the boat at the back, and the avant in the front, who would lead the occupants in call and response songs. But also, in the middle were the bourgeois, who were the big wigs inside the fur trade business, and who traveled with the voyageurs to and from the forts and trading posts. But, everybody in the boat was subordinate to the bourgeois, and fortunately, when the French were in control of parts of North America, the milieu could ascend upward in status to the position of gouvernail or avant, and in some cases to bourgeois. And one way that this could be done was through an individual's skill in singing and memorizing songs, who could eventually lead the paddling pace and rhythms of the canoe. This is one-way that work and leisure was blended into the daily lives of the voyageurs, who could spend almost eighteen hours a day paddling.

Along with an individual’s skill in singing and memorizing songs, pipe smoking was another aspect of how the voyageurs blended work and leisure throughout their busy days. After 1763, the British expanded their control over North America, and the French-Canadian voyageurs had little choice but to work for British fur trading companies, who looked upon them with disdain. Despite their contempt, the British continued to hire the voyageurs because of their prowess in navigating and traversing the North American waterways. And during this period, there was very little chance for upward class mobility for the voyageurs. But, amidst their oppression, the voyageurs were able to maintain some sense of control through leisurely pipe smoking habits. As some of you may know, the voyageurs measured the distances they had traveled in pipes. But what I didn’t know, was that they were not smoking their pipes while they were traveling, but rather they used their habit to control how often they could take a break.  Which is believed to have lasted about ten minutes for every two to six miles traveled. So, an activity that was strongly associated with voyageur culture, which the British used to characterize them with as lazy, gave them some sense of power over the oppressive forces that sought to control every aspect of their day to day lives.

After hearing this from Doctor Mann, he began to present archaeological data which corroborated with these activities. Since the voyageurs occupied a maritime occupation, many of the artifacts associated with them are found underwater, where some unlucky individuals either crashed or sank their boat. But, one of the artifacts that was presented during the lecture was a pipe bowl with the inscription “T.D”. And I immediately drew a connection to my summer at Fort St. Joseph, because one of the artifacts that my peers had uncovered, was a pipe bowl with the “T.D.” inscription (Figure 1). I felt ecstatic after, seeing how Dr. Mann’s research made that connection to my time excavating in Niles. I mean, we know that the site was occupied by people in the past, because the materials are there, and the documentary sources tell us bits of what happened, but this connection really made it seem real to me. The voyageurs occupied a space which is now the city of Niles. In my mind, it brought the past to life through making that connection to the object. And it makes me happy to have had the feeling, and that I could share Doctor Mann’s research with you all.

"T.D." pipe bowl fragment.
Photo courtesy of Kaleb Kahler.

Thank you for reading,

Cameron

Abstract from "An Examination of Flintlock Components at Fort St. Joseph"

Hello Fort Followers, 

Kevin Jones recently defended his M.A. thesis at Western Michigan University! He received his bachelors from Purdue University, where he developed an interest in answering archaeological questions through material and composition analysis. At Purdue, he completed an honors project on Fort Ouiatenon, a French fur trading post established in 1717. When he came to WMU, Kevin decided to follow a similar path and work with Fort St. Joseph materials. Dr. Nassaney introduced Kevin to flintlock components when he was beginning to explore research topics. His initial research led him to pursue questions in regards to the origin, design, and work necessary to keep flintlocks functioning on the frontier. Below is the abstract to his thesis, “An Examination of Flintlock Components at Fort St. Joseph (20BE23), Niles, Michigan.”  

The purpose of this study is to identify the age, country and place of origin, function (e.g. fusil, pistol), and intended use (e.g. military, trade gun) of flintlock components recovered from Fort St. Joseph (20BE23), an eighteenth-century French mission-garrison-trading post in southwest Michigan. Flintlock muskets were a vital technology in New France throughout the fur trade era, both in their roles as weapons and as hunting implements. They were also important because their relatively complex nature necessitated localized, frontier supply and repair; their use and maintenance were integrated into many facets of frontier life. Historical documents and archaeological materials show that Fort St. Joseph was one location where flintlock-related activities occurred. Close examination of Fort St. Joseph's flintlock artifacts provides insight into the weapons that were used and maintained on the frontier, as well as the significant roles they played in the North American fur trade more widely.

Etched bow and quiver on an English buttplate found at Fort St. Joseph. Photo courtesy of the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project.

Kevin’s thesis will be available through ScholarWorks at Western Michigan University in the coming weeks! 

Collecting Research on Collections: A Trip to Mackinac Historic State Parks

FSJ Friends!

Spring is here! With this post, I hope I can wash the remaining bits of your winter blues away by providing a curation update.

At the beginning of March, I took a trip to Mackinaw City, Michigan to visit a few colleagues, Lynn Evans, Curator of Archaeology, and Brian Jaeschke, Registrar of Collections and Archives, who work for the Mackinac State Historic Parks. They kindly agreed to host me for a research visit to see the archaeological collections stored in the Peterson Center and inquire about the Mackinac State Historic Parks’ collection management system (Figure 1). Fort Michilimackinac, just one division of the MSHP, is very similar to Fort St. Joseph in terms of time period and collection contents, making this repository an ideal place to visit!

Figure 1: The Peterson Center in Mackinac City is where a majority of the Mackinac State Historic Parks’ collections are held. Those interested in the collections would arrive here to meet with
 Lynn or Brian after their research request was granted.

As one aspect of this fellowship is to explore new and proven practices regarding collection management, Lynn and Brian thought it would be best to discuss every step of their collection process. They began my tour by detailing what happens to the artifacts after they were recovered from the field, specifically how the artifacts were sorted and stored. The process was very similar to the one implemented by the Project, confirming the practices and techniques carried out by Project members.

Afterwards, Lynn and Brian showed me the MSHP’s process for integrating the field season’s artifacts into the collection database and storage cabinets (Figure 2). Lynn and one other staff member oversee this process which allows them to check each other’s work during the steps in case a discrepancy arises. Similarly, the Project implements a step-by-step inventory and cataloging process for the artifacts recovered from Fort St. Joseph. However, because the Project benefits from its student interns and volunteers, there are a few more people involved in the procedures. In general, the Project’s inventory and cataloging methods do not leave very much room for discrepancies, but perhaps after reviewing the checks and balances of the Project’s system, areas in need of enhancement may be noticed.

Figure 2: Here, Lynn is showing how artifacts are stored in archival bags
with labels placed within the bag as well as on the outside.
Acid-free paper is used for labeling within the bags.

The MSHP uses the Argus collection management program, which is comparable to the PastPerfect system employed by the Project and Niles History Center. Both database programs are used to organize collections by recording various details about the collection as a whole and its individual pieces. Information such as an artifact’s accession number, catalog id, excavation provenience, raw material, and function can be recorded along with a picture if desired. By keeping a detailed record of the accumulated knowledge for each artifact in one place such as these databases, staff and visitors have an easier time utilizing the collection for research. For this management to remain effective though, it is requires that staff and time are set aside in order to keep the data entries up to date.

The storage room for the artifacts in the MSHP’s collection was also very impressive! The room contains many archival cabinets that store the various collections’ artifacts (Figure 3). Each cabinet is well organized and the location of the artifacts placed within is listed in the Argus database program (Figure 4). This efficient management allows for easy accessibility to the artifacts by staff members, especially when members of the public request research access.

Figure 3: Within the collection storage room, archival
cabinets house the artifacts to ensure their preservation.
  These cabinets can be ordered in many different sizes and their shelving
 can be adjusted to fit the needs of the collections’ contents.

Figure 4: Here, you can see the various beads in the Fort Michilimackinac 
collection. The location of each accession number within the storage room
 is linked to their collection database, allowing for easy accessibility. 

Overall, I was very impressed with their organization and management! It may require more resources, but I think that their collection standards are some that the Project should aspire to achieve if afforded the resources to do so. 

I will end this blog by teasing you with information to come. Within the next week, I will be visiting the State of Michigan’s repository and chatting with a former Project member who played a crucial role in setting up the management system the Project currently uses. 

Can’t wait to share what I learn,

Erika Hartley

Collection Contents and Current Challenges

FSJ Friends,

As promised, I want to keep you updated with what is going on with our curation project! So far I have been doing a lot of research which for some may not be so exciting… But, it is an important part of the process and I love it!

When I first began this project, I asked myself a variety of questions, “What does the collection consist of? What state of curation is the collection currently in? Where are the various pieces of the collection located? What collection management system does the Museum and Project use? Are there better ways to organize the collection for easier tracking and access? How many people are currently aware of the collection?”

I thought it was best to investigate some of the questions first so that I could identify areas where improvement could occur in the future. With that said, let me share some of my own knowledge and a few recent findings!

First, how many of you are aware of the variety of items in the Fort St. Joseph collection? As I mentioned in my first blogpost, it consists of the many items related to Fort St. Joseph such as the—familiar and obvious—archaeologically recovered materials. However, there is so much more!! Specifically, the collection consists of artifacts and animal bones, geophysical data, historical documents and translations, maps, field notes, photographs, soil samples, carbon-14 samples, and numerous publications.

You may now be thinking, “Wow, I had no idea! Where are the contents located? Can I request research access? Are some items from the collection on display?” For those who missed my previous blog, the collection is held at the Niles History Center, where some items are on display and many are available for research purposes.

Figure 1. Christina Arseneau, far right, and Mollie Watson, to her left,
tell WMU field school students about the Fort St. Joseph Museum
 and the FSJ collection. Photo by Crystal DeRoo.

While exploring these first initial questions, however, I have found some of the downfalls of the collection’s current curation state. Like many small museums, money (required for routine updates and full-time staffing) can seem impossible to find. As a result, aspects of collection management often takes a back seat to other more pressing needs. The FSJ collection has been no exception which is one of the many reasons for this curation project and fellowship.

While the Niles History Center now has a full-time director, Christina Arseneau, a part-time assistant director, Molly Watson, and assistance from WMU student Project intern, this was not always the case. Due to the previous lack of resources, much more time and materials are now required to improve the collection’s state. When reading various blogs, articles, and books about reorganizing or rehousing collections, one of the first items discussed is the need for funds to acquire the necessary materials and assist with staffing costs. The second item is time; time to assess the situation, identify solutions, and implement best practices.

Figure 2. Meghan Williams, the current
WMU student Project intern, has been
assisting in digitizing field notes. 

With that in mind, I may ask for assistance and advice from time to time. The best part about the Project’s friends and the scholar community in general is that we love to share our ideas, resources, and findings!

So I will now put out a call for advice and recommendations…

One problem that I have identified thus far is the collection’s organization and management system. Recently, the Project suffered from some computer issues and much of our data on Past Perfect was lost. Undecided on whether to take time to identify and fill in the missing pieces, Project members, myself included, are researching other cataloging systems. I am also investigating other online options for storing and sharing data. In the past, the project has used tDAR but found it difficult to remain up to date without funding and specified staffing.

Any thoughts? Recommendations? Resources I need to add to my list? I would love to hear your opinions on this matter or anything else curation or Project related! Please feel free to contact me at hartleyerikak@jccmi.edu. I have also began coordinating some visits to other repositories to discuss their curation practices!

Stay tuned for more updates and findings,

Erika Hartley

Unveiling a New Chapter

Hello FSJ Followers!

Are you ready for some exciting updates? What’s a better way to dig in to 2019 than with some new ideas and developments, am I right?

Let’s start from the beginning… Over the past few months the Fort St. Joseph Project (or the Project) has been reflecting on the curation practices used for the Fort St. Joseph collections that are currently held at the Niles History Center. Curation is the process of organizing, preserving, and making accessible all the materials that we’ve collected and the records we’ve created through our archaeological investigations. Many of the artifacts in the collection have been recovered during excavation at the Fort St. Joseph floodplain site and other nearby contemporary sites investigated over the past 20 years. Other artifacts stored in the collection are those recovered by local collectors long before the Project began. Our records include historic documents, field notes, reports, photographs, and publications.

The Fort St. Joseph Museum. If you haven’t seen the displays on Fort St. Joseph, be sure to drop by Wednesday-Friday 10 am to 4 pm and Saturday 10 am to 3 pm. Photo by Crystal DeRoo.

 In order to improve our curation system, we decided that we should investigate best practices observed at similar repositories with the intended goal of enhancing our curation efforts. We would also like to identify any proactive steps that may improve the organization, cataloging, and digitization of artifacts. One important goal is to develop a greater awareness of and access to the collection by interested scholars and the public. We live in a fast-paced, digital world which calls for the collection’s accessibility to reflect that.

Assistance from donors is beginning to make these aims a reality. One donor, who initially came to the Project with these types of developments in mind, worked with the Project to create the Fort St. Joseph Curation Fellowship! This is a 12-month appointment designed to study, develop, and implement policies and practices that will serve as a model for other small repositories that store important archaeological collections. This exciting venture is one that I am proud to say that I am a part of, as I have been selected for this opportunity!

For those who do not know me, I have been involved with the Project for just over four years. During my graduate studies at Western Michigan University, I was introduced to the Project and all of the wonderful people involved by my mentor and friend, Michael Nassaney. Fort St. Joseph was used as a case study for my master’s thesis, “Archaeological Evidence of Architectural Remains at Fort St. Joseph (20BE23), Niles, MI,” which explored architecture and how it is employed to express identity. My interest in this topic stemmed from research I performed while co-authoring (with Michael Nassaney) the Project’s third installment in its booklet series entitled “Sheltering New France.” I have also assisted with WMU’s field school at Fort St. Joseph as a teaching assistant and recently as the field director. I am indebted to the Project for the many professional and academic opportunities it has provided and continues to provide to me.

From left to right, Ashley Barry, Brian Schutte, and I were conducting research on a few items found in the FSJ collection as part of a field school exercise. Photo by Crystal DeRoo.

     Currently, I am in the researching stage seeking out new thoughts on collection management and information on similar repositories that I may visit to help define some best practices that the Project can implement on the collection. I will be dividing my time between this task and working as an instructor at Jackson College. As always comments, ideas, and questions are welcome! Feel free to email me as well at hartleyerikak@jccmi.edu.

Stay tuned for my regular updates!

Erika (Loveland) Hartley

P.S. Some of you know me as Erika Loveland. In August 2018, right after field school, I got married and now go by Erika Hartley. Sorry for any confusion that this may cause!