Consequences of Collecting

Many packrats consider themselves "collectors." They collect bottles, buttons, arrowheads, or any other of a number of things. However, have you ever stopped to think about what happens when an object is removed from its original location? All context is lost.

For example, if an archaeologist found a Native American artifact in a field, they could learn a lot about the item because of where they found it. There may be more items nearby, and all of this can tell them about who might have made it, what it was used for, and how old it is. An archaeologist's job is to scientifically collect all of this data to make sure that they can learn as much as possible from the artifact. Archaeologists take care of the item, treat it with respect, and have proper permits to study artifacts.

If you go into a field and pick up an object there are consequences. If you don't treat the object with care you could cause irreparable damage. If you don't document the location you will remove all context associated with the object.

Take a look at the artifacts in this section of the exhibit to learn about the consequences of trying to "collect" items.