Curation Facilities

Figure 1. Cobb Institute Curation Laboratory.

Figure 2. Mezzanine Level, Collections Storage Area.

The repository structure was designed specifically for the purpose of curating archaeological collections. The building design consists of corrugated-metal exterior walls, a standing seam metal roof, a covered loading dock, and a poured concrete floor. It contains two front offices, a drafting room, laboratory work space, a restroom, shower room and a large collections storage area.

The collections storage space is divided into two levels by an upper steel floored mezzanine. . All shelving is commercial grade adjustable steel units (Figure 2). The lower level has a poured concrete floor and contains all archaeological records and many of the earlier artifact collections. The upper level stores all the maps, negatives, slides, reports and more recent artifact collections. Total shelf space in the collections area is approximately 7,700 cubic feet, which can hold approximately 6,500 standard 21x10x9 boxes. Some space in the collections area is also used for in-process storage, photo file cabinets and supply storage. At the present time, the repository houses approximately 5,000 boxes of artifacts and records.

The curation lab/repository is environmentally controlled by two separate heating-ventilating-air-conditioning systems: one for the office and laboratory area and another specifically designed for the collections storage space. The closed collections storage system provides year-round temperature and humidity control using a gas-fired hot water heating system and a conventional air conditioning system. Temperature is maintained at 68 to 70 degrees F. with a relative humidity of 50 percent.

Security is provided for by burglary and fire alarm systems linked to the campus and local police and fire departments. The intrusion-detection system includes motion detectors, high-frequency breakage detectors, infrared beams and door switches. The fire alarm system consists of smoke and heat detectors in strategic locations along with flow monitors on the wet-pipe sprinkler system that protect all parts of the building. Hand held fire extinguishers are also available throughout the building. In addition, the collections area is separated from the laboratory/office portion of the building by a two-hour firewall. Campus police respond to burglar alarms alerting collections staff who are needed to provide access into the building. Access to the facility is limited; with only the Institute Director, the Curator, and the Collections Manager having keys and access codes. Written permission is required before anyone other than the aforementioned is given access to the collections storage room and visitors are logged in.