As mentioned earlier, the laboratory unit and one cottage of the
Research Center have been completed. Archaeological material, including
skeletons from the Museum's extensive excavations in the Tennessee
Valley Region in Alabama, its earlier work in Eastern Arkansas, surface
collections from all over Alabama and from scattered excavations in many
parts of the state, has been assembled in especially designed storage
racks in the main part of the building. Our plan is to have all of the
Museum's archaeological material, photographs, field notes, and library
at this central point, where any part of it may be studied and
comparisons made with other parts. Archaeologists are invited to avail
themselves of the opportunity thus afforded.
Artifacts of clay, bone, shell, copper, flint, and stone are packed in
pasteboard cartons which are numbered according to site and type of
material. Skeletal material is packed in butter tubs and pasteboard
cartons. All bones have been carefully cleaned, soaked in permanent
hardener, and catalogued. All records of excavations, surveys, profiles,
field notes, topographic sheets, index catalogues, et cetera are also
housed in the building.
We are proud to have such a fine lot of material available in one
building.