Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (Champaign, IL 61801-3620)
Laura Kozuch (Project Director: May 2011 to December 2013)
PG-51569-12
Preservation Assistance Grants
Preservation and Access
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[Grant products]
Totals:
$5,996 (approved)
$5,996 (awarded)
Grant period:
1/1/2012 – 12/31/2013
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Preservation Assessment and Purchase of Environmental Monitoring Equipment to Preserve Archaeological Collections
A conservation assessment of the Illinois State Archaeological Survey's non-federal collections that include 54,450 excavation records, 95,125 photographs, 22,819 maps, and 1 million artifacts excavated since 1920 that document the prehistory of the state. Among these are materials from Cahokia, a mound site. Environmental monitors recommended by a consultant would also be purchased. This evaluation would help guide the facility's staff on building upgrades, collection management, and climate monitoring and control.
This project will help the Illinois State Archaeological Survey (ISAS) at the University of Illinois to have a preservation assessment performed of our facilities that house archaeological collections and associated documents. The last assessment was conducted in 1998 by Catherine Sease. Since that time, all collections and facilities have moved to different buildings on and off campus. To help monitor storage conditions, we will purchase additional electronic PEM2 climate monitors from the Image Permanence Institute to replace our older hygrothermographs. ISAS curates about 12,000 boxes (cubic feet) of archaeological materials in permanent facilities, including 54,450 lots of artifacts from Cahokia, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Although storage furniture and climate conditions have greatly improved due to many upgrades, we would like to utilize the expertise of a trained conservator to help guide us in our next steps.
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