Background Information (2002)
Mission Statement (1984; revised 2003)
Scope of the Collections (1984; revised 2003)
Acquisition Policy (1984; revised 2003 and 2008)
LSA Disposal of Materials Policy (1985)
Deaccession Policy (1984; revised 2002)
Loan Policy (1984; revised 2001)
Access to Collections (1984; revised 2000)
Photographic Reproduction Policy (2002)
Photographing Museum Collections Policy (2004)
Guidelines for Destructive Analysis (2004; revised 2008)

Background of the Museum of Anthropology

From the original four divisions established in 1922—Ethnology, North American Archaeology, Great Lakes Archaeology, and Far Eastern Archaeology—the Museum has expanded to eleven divisions or “ranges.” Additional divisions are: Environmental Archaeology (Zooarchaeology), Human Osteology, Highland and Lowland Latin American Archaeology and Ethnohistory, Near Eastern Archaeology, Mediterranean Archaeology, Analytical Collections, and African Archaeology (added Fall 2000). As the Museum has grown in scale over the past eight decades, its mission has expanded—to an emphasis on three interwoven priorities: curation, research, and teaching. Public outreach is a fourth emphasis, intimately bound to each of these priorities.

Curation: The Museum of Anthropology houses archaeological collections of extraordinary national and global significance. The majority of the collections (comprising more than three million individual objects) derive from well-documented and significant archaeological excavations and scientific collecting missions. These materials, with fieldnotes and photographs, constitute an irreplaceable resource for the study of the human past. The Museum is dedicated to the responsible and effective curation of this resource. Curatorial priorities include maintaining and enhancing the physical condition of our collections, full documentation of the collections, and the dissemination of information on the collections to the University community, residents of the State of Michigan, indigenous communities, and North American and international scholars. Current priorities for collection expansion focus primarily on North America, especially the Great Lakes region. Elsewhere, the Museum is committed to a judicious acquisition of collections of high scholarly potential and intellectual significance and to the procurement and management of loan collections from the diverse nations where staff and students conduct research.

Research: Museum of Anthropology curators are in the forefront of anthropological and archaeological laboratory research and fieldwork across the globe. Many of the Museum’s collections have been acquired through curatorial field research, and other collections serve as both essential comparative materials and objects of study in themselves. The analytical skills of the curators—demography, paleoethnobotany, zooarchaeology, computer-modeling, ceramic analysis—crosscut the geographical bases of the Museum’s divisions and are essential for laboratory analyses of the collections. We are committed that the Museum shall remain a vibrant research institution, and that the active research programs of our curators continue to make substantive theoretical contributions to the study of human cultural and biological diversity and processes of cultural change from humanity’s prehistoric beginnings to the present.

Teaching: The Museum of Anthropology is dedicated to the goal of educating undergraduate and graduate students. Archaeological research requires a wide range of skills and experiences in working with a range of materials, including artifacts, faunal and botanical remains, and human osteological materials. Our collections allow us to offer student essential “hands-on” training and experience. Curators are committed to working actively with students, and guiding them in the analysis, interpretation, and publication of a wide variety of anthropological materials. Curatorial teaching makes crucial contributions to the professionalization of a new generation of scholars through dissertations, honors theses, and other learning experiences. At the same time, curators teach in the Department of Anthropology. These courses are informed by current research results from fieldwork and analyses of museum collections.

Outreach: The Museum is committed to public education and outreach to people of the State of Michigan and beyond. The Museum Web site contains information on collections and current faculty research. Museum curators and staff regularly respond to e-mail inquiries from across the globe. For the local public, the Great Lakes Division conducts a weekly clinic for individuals seeking aid in identifying archaeological materials; other divisions regularly respond to requests for information from visitors to the museum. Our publication series disseminates curatorial and other high quality scholarly research to professionals and the public. Curators serve as consultants to exhibits in the University Museum, the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, and non-University venues. Museum curators and students give public lectures and work with the Ann Arbor public schools and local amateur societies (e.g., Michigan Archaeological Society, and Michigan Oriental Art Society). The Great Lakes Division serves as the official advisor for prehistoric resources to the City of Ann Arbor.

return to top

Mission Statement

The mission of the Museum of Anthropology is to collect, curate, document, preserve, interpret, research, and disseminate knowledge concerning anthropological archaeology. The Museum’s collections and research avenues complement the diverse interests at the University of Michigan and its role in public and professional education in local, state, national, and international communities. Through classroom and individual instruction, museum work, and field experience, the Museum provides both theoretical and practical training in archaeology to undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Michigan, and outreach to the people of Michigan and beyond.

return to top

Scope of the Collections

The foundation of the Museum of Anthropology is the research collections that are held in perpetuity for the public. Collections are accessioned, documented, and cataloged objects of both cultural and scientific significance. All collections are used for research, educational programs, exhibition, and loans. Materials are either owned by the Museum as an agent for the Regents of the University or are held in trust for federal and state agencies.

The collections of the Museum are split into two collection categories.

Geographical Research Collections.The geographical areas for archaeological collections include North America, the Great Lakes, Latin America, Europe, Near and Middle East, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. The collections are the bases for research and student education.

Subject Research Collections.The subject area collections are required to help interpret geographical archaeological materials. These collections include the Ethnobotanical Laboratory, the Archaeozoology Laboratory, the Geochemical Analytical Collections, the Latin American Ethnohistory Library, the Human Osteology Collection, and the Ethnology Collection.

return to top

Acquisition Policy of the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology

A.  Objects accepted and accessioned into the collections must support the mission and scope of the Museum of Anthropology.

        1.  All acquisitions are for the express purpose of preserving, studying, or exhibiting materials illustrating humanity’s cultural and biological heritage. Normally the Museum will only acquire objects that are related to anthropological archaeology and amplify existing or proposed research by the Curators.

        2.  Objects for which the Museum anticipates no foreseeable use for research, education, exhibition, or exchange will not be accepted.

        3.  Since the Museum of Anthropology has space and financial limitations, the Museum subscribes to a policy of selective acquisitions.

B.  Approval to accept and accession an object or collection can only be granted by the Curator in charge of the collection with approval by the Museum Director. The Museum Director reserves the right to consult with the Executive Committee on a proposed acquisition before approval is given.

C.  Research Collections (objects and documentation) generated by Museum personnel will be automatically considered for acquisition to the permanent collections following any stipulations outlined in work generated through grant activities as well as any legal considerations that may take precedence.

        1.  Research collections shall be made only under strict compliance with the laws of the country, state, or other legal political unit in which the fieldwork is conducted.

In addition to field generated research collections, the Museum may acquire objects by purchase, contract, gift, bequest, or other appropriate means. Objects will be accepted and accessioned into the Museum’s collections when the following conditions are met:

        2.  All materials must be the legal property of the donor, institution, or dealer making the offer and the source must have the legal authority to dispose of the specimens proffered.

        3.  Objects shall be accepted only when the Curator has determined to the best of his/her ability that they have been collected and received, exported/imported, in full compliance with the laws and regulations of the country of origin, the federal government of the United States, and the states of the United States. These include but are not limited to: Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979,¹ Pre-Columbian Art Act of 1972,² the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act, 1983,³ UNESCO Convention on Cultural Property, 1970, ICOM Code of Professional Ethics, AAM Code of Professional Ethics, and AAM’s Standards Regarding Archaeological Material and Ancient Art. (The Museum may accept objects that have been confiscated by governmental authorities and subsequently offered to the Museum by these same agents. These objects will be accessioned into the Museum collections only with the proper documentation of transmittal.)

        4.  Title to all objects acquired for the collections should be obtained free and clear, without restrictions as to use, exhibition, loan, or future disposition. (If, under special circumstances, an object is accepted with restrictions or limitations, such conditions must be approved by the Curator and the Museum Director and must be stated clearly in the instrument of conveyance [i.e., Deed of Gift] and made part of the accession records for the object. When the title is uncertain, the Curator shall make a well-documented effort to ascertain the history and sources of the object[s] and to determine that acquiring it [them] will not contribute to illicit trade.)

        5.  The Museum can provide proper care, conservation, and storage under conditions ensuring their preservation and availability, in keeping with professional standards.

D.  Objects collected on state or federal lands administered through state or federal agencies are integrated into the Museum collections in conformity with a Memorandum of Agreement or with applicable regulations of the state or federal agency.

E.  Archaeological materials will not be purchased by the Museum of Anthropology, as mandated by the Antiquities Act of 1906, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, and standards set by The American Association of Museums.

F.  It is the Museum of Anthropology’s intent and policy to comply with Public Law 101-601, the “Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.”

G.  The Museum of Anthropology cannot provide appraisals for proposed acquisition materials. Nor will the curatorial and administrative staff authenticate cultural materials known or suspected to be illegally exported from their country of origin, or make available Museum collections or equipment to assist such determinations by others. Personnel affiliated with the Museum of Anthropology are not permitted to use such association to make field collections for private or commercial purposes or to develop private collections.

Approved by Museum Executive Committee, November 17, 2008

¹Public Law 96-95; 16 U.S.C. 470aa-mm as amended
²19 U.S.C. Sec 2091
³Public Law 97-446; 19 U.S.C. 2601 et seq., as amended

return to top

Policies for the Disposal of Materials for the Museums of the College of LS&A, The University of Michigan

In an effort to handle properly the collections entrusted to the museums of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan, we wish to propose guidelines for disposal of museum materials. In doing so, we accept the following statements from the Committee on Ethics of the American Association of Museums in its 1978 Report on Museum Ethics.

– The physical care of the collection and its accessibility must be in keeping with professionally accepted standards. Failing this, museum governance and management are ethically obliged either to effect correction of the deficiency or to dispose of the collection, preferably to another institution.

– No collection exists in isolation. Its course generally will be influenced by changes in cultural, scholarly, or educational trends; strengths and specializations developing in other institutions; policy and law regarding the traffic in various kinds of objects; the status of plant and animal populations; and the desire to improve the collections.

– In the delicate area of acquisition and disposal of museum objects, the museum must weigh carefully the interests of the public for which it holds the collection in trust, the donor’s intent in the broadest sense, the interests of the scholarly and the cultural community, and the institution’s own financial well‑being.

– Objects collected by the museum should be relevant to its purposes and activities and be accompanied by a valid legal title, preferably unrestricted but with any limitations clearly described in an instrument of conveyance, and be properly cataloged, conserved, stored, or exhibited. Museums must remain free to improve their collections through selective disposal and acquisition and to intentionally sacrifice specimens for well‑considered analytical, educational, or other purposes. In general, objects should be kept as long as they retain their physical integrity, authenticity, and usefulness for the museum’s purposes.

– When disposing of an object, the museum must determine that it has the legal right to do so. When mandatory restrictions accompany the acquisition they must be observed unless it can be clearly shown that adherence to such restrictions is impossible or substantially detrimental to the institution. A museum can be relieved from such restrictions only by an appropriate legal procedure.

– When precatory statements accompany the acquisition, they must be carefully considered, and consultation with the donor or his/her heirs should be attempted.

– In disposing of an object, due consideration must be given the museum community in general as well as the wishes and financial needs of the institution. Sales to, or exchanges between, institutions should be considered as well as disposal through trade. In addition to the financial return from disposals, the museum should consider the full range of factors affecting the public interest.

– While the governing entity bears final responsibility for the collection including both the acquisition and disposal process the curatorial and administrative staff together with their technical associates are best qualified to assess the pertinence of an object to the collection or the museum’s program. Only for clear and compelling reasons should an object be disposed of against the advice of the museum’s professional staff.

With these statements in mind, we propose the following guidelines for the disposal of materials for the museums of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan.

– A donor’s wishes regarding the possible future disposal of an object/collection should be determined at the time the gift is made; these can be ascertained by use of a standard set of questions to be drawn up by each museum’s curatorial staff/executive committee.

– Reasons for disposal of collections include: inability to care properly for a collection; inappropriateness of a collection with regard to a museum’s programs or purposes; unnecessary duplication; irredeemable loss of a collection’s scientific, historic, or aesthetic value due to physical deterioration or loss of essential documentation. In considering disposal the following two principles should be taken into account:

1.  Complete research collections should be disposed of as single units rather than dispersed.

2.  Items of research/public value should remain in the public domain so far as this is possible.

– Curators at each museum should be able to exchange specimens with other institutions and to give specimens to other institutions, when appropriate. (Exchanges among the College museums will be considered before considering exchanges with other museums within the University or before considering exchanges with outside institutions.)

– Funds gained through disposal should be used for curatorial purposes, specifically, to improve substantively the quality/quantity of the remaining collections of the museum. (Fund raising is not considered a valid reason for selling any part of a collection.)

– No museum staff member may buy or otherwise obtain objects that are a part of the museum’s collection.

– Proposals for the disposal of valuable objects/collections that include a statement of plans for the use of money obtained are to be approved by the appropriate curatorial staff, the museum director, and given final approval by the College Executive Committee.

return to top

Deaccession Policy

The collections of the Museum of Anthropology are held in trust for the people of the State of Michigan by the Regents of the University. The disposal of any part of the collection must be considered a serious step. Deaccessioning must therefore follow a deliberate and established procedure and take place in an open and public manner. Any deaccessioning of items will be done in compliance with applicable state and federal law, and will be consistent with standard University policies and procedures.

No artifact in the Museum’s collection shall be considered for deaccessioning unless it meets at least one of the following criteria:

1. the object(s) fall outside the scope of the Museum’s collections;
2. the object(s) have been improperly or erroneously accessioned into the permanent collections (i.e., lab equipment, federally-owned collections);
3. the object(s) have decayed or decomposed beyond reasonable use and repair or that by their condition constitute a hazard to other objects in the collection or to Museum personnel;
4. the object(s) can not be properly cared for and housed;
5. the object(s) lack authenticity or are so lacking in documentation as to render them valueless for purposes of scholarly research or public education;
6. object(s) whose transfer is mandated by applicable state or federal law;
7. other unique or special circumstances relating to the source, acquisition, or continued curation of an object that renders its transfer of major benefit to the Museum and its mission.

The destruction of individual items for credible, scientific analysis is not considered a formal deaccessioning, and may be permitted at the discretion of the relevant Curator and Museum Director. All data generated by the destruction of specimens will be added to the collections documentation.

In considering removal of object(s) from the Museum’s permanent collection, the following two principles should be taken into account:

1. Complete research collections should be disposed of as a single unit rather than dispersed.
2. Items of research/public value should remain in the public domain as far as this is possible.

The Museum of Anthropology, as a research unit in the University of Michigan, is subject to the guidelines and policies of property disposition as outlined in Section 520.1 (updated 2003) of The University of Michigan Standard Practice Guide. These policies outline the proper disposal of University property that is defined as buildings, fixtures, furniture, and moveable equipment over $5,000 and relates to equipment that may have been erroneously accessioned into the Museum Collections. The Museum has negotiated with the Regents of the University of Michigan a formal procedure for deaccessioning Museum research collections. These procedures are outlined below:

1. Initial recommendations to deaccession come from the appropriate Curator or the Collection Manager in consultation with the appropriate Curator.
2. Recommendations are presented in writing to the Museum’s Executive Committee. Recommendations must include a description of the object(s) being considered for deaccession (with photodocumentation if needed), a rational for the deaccessioning, and the proposed disposition of the object(s) once they are deaccessioned.
3. With approval of the Executive Committee, and the concurrence of the Museum Director, the Museum Director will draft a statement describing the object(s), the rational for deaccessioning, and the intended final disposition of the object(s). This will be sent to the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) for transmittal to the Board of Regents. A copy of the letter will also be forwarded to the Dean of LS&A.
4. The OVPR will forward the letter to the Secretary of the Regents to be published as a Regential Information Item.
5. If after the next meeting of the Regents there have been no adverse comments, the deaccessioning is deemed approved.
6. At that time, deaccessioning can proceed.
7. All internal records of the Museum (catalog books, catalog cards, accession entry) will be marked “deaccessioned” in red ink with the date of disposition clearly written. Documentation pertaining to the deaccessioning will remain part of the Museum’s Accession Records housed in the Collection Manager’s office.

The Museum is required to attempt transfer of objects within the University or within the public domain, when appropriate (LSA Policies, p. 2). The following channels of disposal are recommended:

1. Exchange or transfer within the University.
   Disposal to other LSA museums through exchange or transfer will be considered before considering disposal to other museums within the University.
2. Exchange with or sale to public museums.
3. Public auction.

If the object to be disposed of has been declined by other University of Michigan affiliated museums and subsequently by institutions in the museum community outside the University of Michigan, the preferred means of disposal is sale at public auction. The sale will be approved by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in accordance with Chapter III, Section 3.07 Subsection 2d of the Regents Bylaws.

Restrictions on Disposition
Disposal of museum objects may not be to private individuals without specific and explicit approval of the Executive Committee of the Museum. No member of the Museum faculty, staff, students, or volunteers is eligible to purchase objects deaccessioned from the Museum. In conformance with the College of Literature, Science and the Arts’ policies and American Association of Museums, proceeds from the sale of collection materials can only be used to purchase objects appropriate to the Museum’s mission or supplies to enhance the storage conditions of current collections.

return to top

Loan Policy

Statement of Basic Principles

• A loan is the temporary physical transfer of material without transfer of ownership.
• Loans are made on behalf of the University of Michigan by a Curator or Curatorial designee.
• In the case of incoming loans, only a Curator, Director, or Collection Manager can accept material on behalf of the Museum.

Outgoing Loans

The Museum loans only to institutions, not to individuals. A permanently employed institutional representative who has authority to bind the institution is named responsible for the loan. Investigators who are not located at, or affiliated with, an institution can make arrangements to have specimens sent to a nearby facility as long as a responsible member of that institution is willing to accept responsibility for the specimens, and provided that the specimens remain on the premises of that institution. Specimens requested by students, post-doctoral fellows, or emeritus faculty require endorsement by an appropriate Curator, current faculty member, or staff member with authority to bind their institution, and will be considered the direct responsibility of the institution and the endorser.

Only under exceptional circumstances will loans be made to individual borrowers without institutional affiliation or sponsorship. An unaffiliated individual must be known to a division of the Museum, must demonstrate the capacity to handle and store specimens correctly and securely, and to return specimens in a timely manner, and must be approved by the Director and appropriate Curator.

Requests from institutions outside the University to borrow Museum of Anthropology specimens for research or exhibit should be made in writing to the appropriate Curator or Collection Manager. Requests should include the following information: the purpose of the loan; a description of the material requested in as much detail as possible; and where, and under whose responsibility, the specimens will be housed while on loan. Requests for loans should be submitted at least two (2) weeks prior to the date specimens are to leave the Museum.

The Museum is under no obligation to provide any material for loan. Some specimens in the Museum’s collections are not available for loan, including specimens judged too fragile or too environmentally sensitive to travel, current research materials, and specimens needed for teaching at the Museum. The Museum does not loan items that fall under the regulation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

Loan requests will be reviewed by the Curator of the appropriate division and the Collection Manager. Any environmental guidelines or special circumstances will be specified by the Curator and/or Collection Manager.

The length of each loan will be specified at the time of the loan, and will generally not exceed one year. Requests for renewal should be made in writing to the Collection Manager. The Museum reserves the right to recall all or part of the loan on fourteen (14) days notice.

Loaned specimens may not be transferred to another person or institution, even if the person who requested the loan changes institutional affiliation, without the written consent of the Director, Curator, or Collection Manager.

The borrowing institution is responsible for insuring the loaned specimens for full value as indicated in the loan agreement. In the event of a total loss of one or more of the loaned objects the borrower shall reimburse the Museum the sum of the full-appraised value. In the event of a partial loss or damage the borrower shall pay for all necessary replacements, repairs, restorations and labor incurred. The Museum may require that a certificate of insurance or a copy of a current policy be provided as proof of coverage prior to approving the loan request. The Museum must receive proof of coverage before the loan is completed.

Specimens on loan for research should be protected from extremes of temperature and humidity, from insects, vermin, and dirt. Light-sensitive specimens should be protected from light when not being studied.

Specimens should not be sampled, dissected, prepared, molded or otherwise replicated, remounted, reframed, repaired, coated for photography, fumigated, or in any way altered without prior written permission from the Curator or Collection Manager. Any method of analysis that will result in damage or destruction of the loaned objects, in whole or in part, must be described in writing prior to such analysis and written permission must be received from the appropriate Curator at the Museum before research may begin.

Documentation affixed to specimens such as accession or catalog numbers must not be altered or discarded.

All packing and transportation costs shall be borne by the borrower. Unpacking and repacking shall be performed only by experienced personnel under proper supervision. Repacking must be done with similar materials and containers and using similar methods as when the loan was received unless otherwise mutually agreed by the borrower and the Museum. Returned specimens must be accompanied by an inventory list.

Damages to all or part of the loan, whether in transit or on the borrower’s premises and regardless of whom may be responsible therefore, are to be reported immediately to the Museum. A written report describing the damage in detail, including photographs where necessary, is to be submitted within seven days of the discovery of the damage.

The Museum should receive credit in exhibit labels, catalogs, and publications based on the use of specimens from its collections. The credit line “University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology” should be used to cite the Museum specimens (unless otherwise specified by the division). The object catalog number as listed on the loan form may be included in any publication. The Museum asks authors to send two copies of any publication, report, or catalog that utilizes any of the loan specimens.

In the event of any conflict between the Museum’s Loan Policy and any policies of the borrowing institution, the loan will not be executed. Special conditions may apply to specific loans and must be approved by the Director.

Permission is granted the borrower to photograph and reproduce photographs of the loan objects for educational and research purposes, and exhibit publicity only. Any other use of photographs must be requested in writing and approved by the Director, Curator, or Collection Manager. Fees may apply to such requests.

Incoming Loans

The Museum of Anthropology accepts loans for research. All transactions whereby specimens and documentary materials are brought into the Museum must be covered by a written agreement. It is the responsibility of the borrower to ensure the necessary documentation, including required permits, is in place for loans involving specimens covered by protective legislation and treaties such as the Endangered Species Act, NAGPRA, etc. The Museum of Anthropology will not borrow specimens that are known to have been collected or imported in violation of state, federal, or international restrictions, or which may otherwise place the Museum in a compromising legal or ethical position.

A Curator or their designated representative, while in the field, may wish to borrow a collection for scientific study. If materials are studied in the field, it is the responsibility of the Curator to return the materials in a timely manner to the original owner. If the materials are brought back to the Museum for further identification, research, or photography, loan forms must be filled out and recorded in the Collection Manager’s office.

Current students at the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology must read and follow all policies and procedures outlined in the Student Handbook and in this document.

Anyone who borrows material in the name of the Museum of Anthropology must agree to abide by these conditions.

1. A request to borrow research specimens from another institution or individual should be made in writing. Loans for use by students, post-doctoral fellows, and others are accepted only with the written endorsement of the appropriate Curator. All incoming loans must be signed for by the Curator or Collection Manager, and processed both in and out by the appropriate division (or individual borrowing the specimens).
2. Insurance arrangements for incoming loans should be based on the value placed on the loan by the lender.
3. All conditions set on an incoming loan must be reviewed by the appropriate Curator or Collection Manager. Conditions set on use and storage of specimens must be achievable. Once accepted, conditions are binding, and the Museum will make every effort to adhere to these restrictions.
4. No portion of an incoming loan may be transferred to a location or person that has not previously been approved in writing by the lending institution.
5. Borrowed specimens may not be altered in any way without written permission from the lender.
6. It is the responsibility of the borrower to see that a loan is returned in a timely fashion. Specimens must be packed and transported in the same or a more suitable manner as received. Costs associated with the return of specimens borrowed for student research are the responsibility of that student.
7. Specimens that are damaged or lost while at the Museum must immediately be documented in writing and the lending institution or individual must be notified. Questions about insurance or other costs relating to damage or losses must be referred to the Collection Manager.

return to top

Access to Collections

The Museum grants access to collections (objects and documentation) for the purpose of research and study conforming to the standards of the scholarly disciplines it represents and to individual scholars and members of groups whose traditional culture is represented by collections held by the Museum.

Please read and acknowledge your acceptance of this policy by signing and returning with your Request for Access Form.

• Projects must be specific and visitors will be limited to the materials they initially request.
• Student researchers are required to provide a statement of their research objectives and provide a letter of support from a faculty member from their home institution who is familiar with their research.
• Unaffiliated researchers should provide a brief CV with their statement of research objectives. 
• Access to collections is by appointment only and is provided only during regular staff working hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, excluding holidays. Written requests (e-mail and fax are accepted) should be submitted to the Collection Manager for approval at least three weeks prior to the requested research date. Once accepted the time, place, and location for access to the collections will be arranged.
• A copy is requested of any publication or thesis, if material from the collections is used as an integral or major part of the research. Please credit material used in publications to the Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan.
• Photographs of artifacts may be taken only with staff permission. The Museum reserves the right to limit views taken if the objects are judged to be fragile, and photography and handling would cause damage.
• Photographs taken during research are for personal and research use only. Clearance for any other use, including scholarly publication, exhibition, electronic transmission, or general distribution in any medium, must be secured by submitting a written request to the attention of the Collection Manager, and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
• Requests for destructive analysis require a written statement and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. See the Destructive Analysis Policy for more information.

return to top

Photographic and Reproduction Policy

Research prints, slides, or digital files are provided for the purpose of personal or professional study. Unless otherwise stated in writing by the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology (UMMA), no reproduction in any form may be made from research prints, slides, or digital files. Under special circumstances, some photographic materials may be used for commercial uses. If permission for reproduction is applied for and granted, the following conditions apply.

1. The UMMA grants permission for a one-time, non-exclusive, one language (English assumed unless otherwise specified) in a single medium/edition, for the purpose applied for in writing by the purchaser. With respect to electronic media, “one-time use” means that once an electronic product has been published, distributed, or exhibited, you may not subsequently reformat, redesign, or otherwise alter the disk or screens on which the image appears; reuse the image in other products; or allow others to use it. Digital reproductions must have a final resolution no greater than 72 dpi. Any further reproduction shall require an additional fee and the written permission of the UMMA.
2. All reproduced images must be accompanied by the credit line: Permission of The University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology. Any changes in wording must be submitted in writing to the UMMA for approval. If provided, the catalog number and/or photographer’s name should also be included in the credit line. In print, the credit line is to appear either directly under it, on the page facing, on the reverse, or elsewhere in the book, such as in the index or list of illustrations. In film and video, the credit line is to appear with the picture credits. In exhibition, the credit line is to appear with the image or within the exhibit area.
3. No significant alteration of photographs by overprinting, cropping, manipulating, printing in color ink, or altering in any form may proceed without written permission by UMMA.
4. The UMMA reserves the right to examine proofs and captions prior to publication.
5. The publisher or purchaser shall furnish, without charge to the UMMA, one copy of the publication, printed or electronic, in which the image appears.
6. In authorizing the publication of an image, the UMMA does not surrender its own right, title, ownership, or right to publish or grant permission of others to do so.
7. The UMMA assumes no responsibility for infraction of copyright law, invasion of privacy, or improper or illegal use that may arise from reproduction of images.
8. The purchaser’s signature, receipt of payment, or reproduction of the image shall constitute proof of purchaser’s agreement to all the conditions stated herein.
9. In the event that photography for a requested object is unavailable, we will undertake new photography. Photography is available in black & white negative or color slide only. All views made of the object shall be at the discretion of the UMMA unless specifically indicated in writing by the purchaser. We reserve the rights for all new photography under U.S. and International copyright laws.

return to top

Policy for Photographing Museum Collections

The Museum of Anthropology (UMMA) is a research museum dedicated to disseminating information about its collections to researchers, students, and the interested public. To help further this mission, the Museum of Anthropology will, in certain instances, grant permission to individuals to take photographs (Photographers) of objects in its permanent collections that are not ordinarily accessible to the public. If permission is requested and granted, the Photographer hereby agrees to the following conditions:

1. The Photographer agrees to make available to the UMMA a copy of all images photographed, captured, or preserved in any medium.
2. The Photographer grants a nonexclusive license in perpetuity to the UMMA and the Regents of the University of Michigan to use the images in any medium or capacity for non-profit or educational purposes.
3. The UMMA understands that the images taken may be used in future public presentations, publications, or other media written or produced by the Photographer. All published images (in any media) of the UMMA’s objects must be accompanied by the credit line Courtesy of The University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology, UMMA (insert catalog number if applicable).
4. The Photographer will provide the UMMA a copy of any published work in which an image of one of its objects appears. For images published on the World Wide Web, a URL for the image must be provided to the Museum. The Museum reserves the right to disallow the use of an image if it feels the Web site is derogatory, harmful, or lacking in educational value in any way.
5. The use of images of UMMA objects, taken by the Photographer or by UMMA, must receive prior permission for use in commercial or for-profit publications and may include a use-fee
6. It is the responsibility of the photographer to use due diligence when photographing objects. Any damage that occurs while working with collections must be reported directly to the Collection Manager. The Museum may ask for monies to pay for the restoration, repair, or replacement of materials.
7. The researcher’s signature shall constitute agreement to all the conditions stated herein.

return to top

Guidelines for Destructive Analysis of Museum Collections

The Museum of Anthropology encourages the use of its collections for research in all fields and with a wide variety of research methods. In order to maximize the research potential of the Museum’s collections, in some circumstances it may be appropriate to remove samples, conduct invasive tests, or otherwise impact the substance of items in the collections. Decisions regarding the appropriateness of such requests must balance the legitimate needs of the scientific and scholarly community with the long-term preservation of the collections for future needs—including future research needs that might be constrained by current sampling or invasive tests. Proposals from all researchers are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The Curator in charge of the materials can accept the proposal, reject the proposal, or ask for additional information from the researcher until satisfied with the proposal. When the Curator finds the proposal acceptable, the Curator will present a written summary of the project to the Executive Committee of the Museum for final approval.

If the collection being requested is a Federally-owned collection, permission for destructive analysis also must come from the owning Federal agency. It is the responsibility of the researcher to contact the owning Federal agency for permission prior to any work being completed. For culturally identifiable materials that fall under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, permission must be obtained from the affiliated Native American tribe.

In some instances, a pilot project may be required before full access to collections will be approved. This will be determined by either the Curator in charge of the collection or the Executive Committee of the Museum. In a pilot project, the researcher will be granted permission to use a portion of the requested samples to determine if results are achievable. Based on the pilot project results, the Executive Committee will then consider the request for additional materials.

Submitting a Sampling Request

A written proposal must include the following information when asking to sample an object or perform any type of analysis that modifies an object:

1. Date of sampling request;
2. Requester’s name, address, phone number, e-mail address;
3. A description of the project and an explanation of the significance of the proposed research (make sure to describe the research methodology and expected analytical results);
4. Types of analysis to be performed (destructive to the objects) and why they are appropriate to the questions being asked;
5. A discussion of why non-invasive or non-destructive techniques cannot be used to address the research questions;
6. A discussion of other possible sources of objects, and why the Museum’s collections represent the best or only source of objects for sampling;
7. Sample size or weight;
8. Location where the analysis will be performed and who will analyze the results (name of institution and contact information);
9. Date when the sample(s) will be returned (if applicable);
10. Catalog number and description of each object to be used in the project.*

*The Museum cannot and will not undertake the work of selecting specimens or objects to be sampled and will not agree to blanket requests. As a result, requests for destructive analysis will generally require a preliminary research visit.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals are evaluated by both the Curator in charge and the Executive Committee according to the following criteria:

• The research proposal is sound;
• The analytical methods proposed should yield the intended results, and are the least intrusive analytical means of obtaining those results;
• The proposed analyst is qualified to perform the work;
• The amount of sample and number of specimens requested is necessary to obtain accurate results;
• Each specimen can be safely sampled or cast in such a way that future study/analysis is not precluded;
• The degree to which any proposed destructive sampling affects the specimen is minimal;
• The samples will be returned (if applicable) so they can be retained for future use; and
• The probability of receiving analytical results from the researcher is high.

The following guidelines must be adhered to by all researchers:

1. No alteration, sampling, modification, or testing of objects is permitted without prior written authorization in the form of a signed Museum of Anthropology Destructive Analysis Agreement. Under no circumstances is testing permitted in the absence of this agreement, including on the basis of verbal discussions with any staff member, curator, or administrator.
2. Voucher specimens (e.g., duplicate thin sections, powder or ground samples, and carbon samples), usable sampled, and unused portions of specimens or objects must be returned to the Museum. Full documentation regarding location, extent, and kinds of sampling must be maintained and provided to the Museum.
3. The researcher agrees that the Museum will receive a complete copy of the analytical outcomes (including raw data in the form of graphs, computer printouts, etc.) resulting from the sampling or testing of Museum collections. Analytical outcomes should include not only the raw results but also details regarding specific methodologies and instrumentation employed. The researcher also agrees to submit to the Museum two copies of any publications resulting from the research supported through the Destructive Sampling Agreement. The Museum reserves the right to publish analytical results, or release the results to other scholars if the researcher does not provide them to the scholarly community in a timely manner (generally three years from date of testing unless otherwise stated in the approved Destructive Testing Agreement).
4. All costs of the analysis, including packing and round trip shipping, are the responsibility of the researcher.
5. Failure to follow Museum policy or guidelines may jeopardize future borrowing privileges for both the researcher and his or her institution.

return to top