Eric Walker, “Documenting Avocational Collections: The James A. Clark, Jr. Collection at the Archaeological Research Laboratory Center”
Mentor: Megan Thornton, Anthropology
Poster #201
The Archaeological Research Laboratory Center (ARLC) curates collections from over 800 archaeological sites, emphasizing sustainable management and accessibility for research. A notable collection, encompassing items from 140 sites in Wisconsin, including 125 in Winnebago County sites, was donated by James A. Clark, Jr. This donation was provided to the ARLC to support archaeological research in Wisconsin and the Upper Great Lakes region. An initial inventory identified gaps in the documentation for which items have been reported to the Wisconsin Historic Preservation Database (WHPD). This research involves summarizing the collection by site, identifying which sites have not been reported or updated on WHPD, generating reports to track the collections and archaeological materials, and providing these reports to WHPD. In order for continuity within Wisconsin archaeology, these unknown, or unreported, sites must be documented, and the artifacts associated with them must be described in order to have a better comprehensive understanding of the archaeological history in Wisconsin. Through the use of collections management, archival research, and databases, the research conducted as part of the UWM SURF program will provide updated site information and contribute to the WHPD database. This will enhance accessibility for professional archaeologists conducting site research, advance the documentation and preservation of these cultural items, and offer significant insight on the finding of James A. Clark, Jr. and may shine light on the history of Winnebago County and Wisconsin