Part Time Curators; How Are You Doing on Your Shift?
Posted on 13. Aug, 2009 by Shannon Graham in Artifact Finds, Flint Artifacts
Get up right now from your computer and go to where you keep your artifact collection. Take a good look at your entire collection. Go on, do it. What do you see? Are all pieces somehow catalogued with an inventory number that is referenced in a computer database or hand printed ledger complete with all pertinent details of the relic? Do you have frames of points on the wall, riker mounts in closets, shoe boxes, bags, or coffee cans of pieces? Any random pieces laying on shelves?
Now imagine, God forbid, that you do not make it into tomorrow. Say at some point before the sun rises tomorrow, you assume room temperature. When the time comes to dispose of your personal effects, who will have the task of sorting through your collection and deciding what to do with it? What is that person’s knowledge level of your collection and artifacts in general?
Like it or not, the simple truth is someone else will someday own the artifacts we have in our possession today. How are you doing today as curator of these relics?
The collection you leave behind can be a benefit to the family or it could be a real burden to the person having to decide its fate. On one hand the collection could become a family heirloom cherished by descendants for generations to come. Or if there is no interest in keeping it in the family, it could be a hassle for someone who knows little about artifacts to liquidate.
Certainly a well documented collection has more educational value and potentially monetary value. Today, you often hear points described as ‘formerly in the collection of…’ and ‘ex John Doe collection’. For collectors who were known as diligent, knowledgeable collectors, this tag on a relic is badge of honor. Now insert your name there. Imagine in years to come, someone says ‘this point was from the collection of (insert your name)”. Will the actions you’re taking today ensure your collection has value in the years to come? In a time where reproductions are artificially aged and passed off as authentic, good records can go a long way in this effort.
Now, back to your artifact collection and what it might look like to someone having to sort through it. Certainly, the best plan would be to have your intentions outlined in a will or similar legal document. In addition, having provenience for each piece including where it was found, discovery details, site location and other pertinent facts are invaluable. If points were purchased, include the known history, date acquired and price paid to give some baseline indication of value. If you have reproductions in your collection as study pieces, clearly mark them as such. Imagine your collection being sold off after your demise only to have points that you knew were modern, scrutinized by the new owners saying ‘yeah, he had some bad stuff in his collection’ and would then cause every other piece in collection to come under question in terms of authenticity if not properly documented.
Short of having a will drafted, give your closest friend or family members an idea of your desire and the collection’s approximate worth. If you wish the collection be sold, identify a knowledgeable and trusted collector to provide an appraisal on the collection as a whole as well as individual pieces. The collection may be sold via classifieds, auction, artifact show, or piece by piece. Prepare those closest to you on the pros and cons of each.
Personally, I have a mixed bag in terms of my collection and finds. Growing up hunting the peanut fields, 100% of my finds were all from Comanche County up until 10 years ago. Once I started digging, my collection grew exponentially with additions coming from many south Texas Counties. While I have pieces separated by sites, I do not yet have all of them clearly marked so that others would know their origin. The points I found in Comanche growing up with my Dad are the most special and are all mounted on red backgrounds. My finds from digging and the points I’ve purchased are displayed on black backgrounds to make it easy at a glance to separate as I’d like to keep the childhood finds in the family and have the others sold off after I’m gone. I’ve identified two collectors for my wife to reach out to when the time comes. They can take what they like and I trust them to sell the rest for the best price for my family. In the meantime, I have some work to do on cataloging my pieces.
Now, what are you going to do? Will your name be carried on for years to come by collectors referencing you as a previous owner of a well documented relic? Or, will your name be kicked around by that guy at the show who brags about ripping off widows who don’t know what they have in their deceased husband’s collection? It’s your choice.
Related Posts
9 Responses to “Part Time Curators; How Are You Doing on Your Shift?”
Leave a Reply
Stacy Reeves
24. Sep, 2009
It’s certainly something I thought about… what would happen to my collection when I’m gone. I have a grown son that it’s destined to receive it. But collecting arrowheads was never his ‘thing’ and he would not see it’s full value, monetarily or historically. I mostly collected from one local site when I was a teen. I kept even the least significant item: shards of pottery, flint scrapers and broken arrowheads. I realized that much of what I had collected would end up in the trash two or three generations down the line, even if it were cataloged and labeled correctly. Certainly the finer arrowheads would be kept, but I was concerned about the rest. So as an act of historical preservation, and for my piece of mind, I packed up all those boxes of less-valued items. Labeled the boxes with my name, contact information, contents, when and where the items were found. Each arrowhead was marked with the location it was found. I then presented that portion of my collection to a local museum. They were ecstatic to have them. Now those artifacts will always remain close to where I found them, keeping local history where it should be. They will be studied and preserved. My community can now see and learn more of it’s local pre-history, and as an added bonus, I got a tax deduction from my ‘gift’.
Big Ed
12. Oct, 2009
Great article, Shannon!
Brad Warren
15. Oct, 2009
This was a great artical…! I guess i need to get with the program…I will admit my catalogueing has been minimal….well i have my work cut out for myself..better get to work…Thanks for the motivation!~
Randy Godwin
28. Jan, 2010
Almost all of my points and artifacts come from one kill zone on my farm. None can be called “in situ” as this section has been used for row crops for almost 100 years. How does one go about cataloging these finds?
Anonymous
29. Jan, 2010
I,ve been searching for some time now, the problem is i dont know what book i’m lookin for. I want to find a book that describe the physical features or other variables involved in classifying the type of point, or object. For example, to me there is not an obvious difference between a clovis and a dalton, i wanna know how one would classify his own with some degree of accuracy.
Archie
29. Jan, 2010
I,ve been searching for some time now, the problem is i dont know what book i’m lookin for. I want to find a book that describe the physical features or other variables involved in classifying the type of point, or object. For example, to me there is not an obvious difference between a clovis and a dalton, i wanna know how one would classify his own with some degree of accuracy.
Wesley
22. Feb, 2010
I did what Stacy Reeves did I loaned the ones I found to the museum close to where I found the arrowheads .They had them for about a year then they told me to come and get them . With some of the laws about owning Indian artifacts they told me they would rather I would keep them . They were afraid the Indians would end up with them.
Anonymous
03. Mar, 2010
i am often amazed to discover that a point in my collection that i would surly remember where that came from? right? NAH not even close some t imes i am sometimes even wrong about the state I drove trucks for a number of years and hunted from coast tocoast with mybest finds in Tenn Ark Ohio. so some times those little numbers can make all the diff between remembering or not 41 for texas followed by a two letter county is all i need to pin point the site mark your stuff so it means something even that litle bit of info is better then nothing. as for that idiot who removed all his numbers after hearing the story abut the state goons taking their artifacts what a moron. you stil got your points yeah so o i
THE BOOMSWAGGLER
03. Jun, 2010
well, i know for me, i dont hunt points for any other reason than pick up something which i respect so much to put it behind glass and stare at. Not for monetary value, but for the love. And an even bigger reason is that. we will never know who made this.. there story.. they are to be respected. if you pulled out my collection and randomly pointed at one, i could tell you where i found it, how deep and the weather on that day… and most likely what time it was.. but we can never ask the Native who made/ lost/ maybe even died with this on them. where or why they made it.. and that my digging friends is part of the mystery, part of why all of us are diggers, it brings the kid out, and leaves our imagination to run wild with ideas of what could or what was. and i think passing that on will be such a great thing. as long as the respect is held mutual by the receiver.
Lawson.