The role of the Collections staff is to oversee the registration, care, and organization of the collections. The work includes processing new collections, updating catalog information for older collections, rehousing objects to provide better storage, and keeping an accurate inventory of the collections. The Collections staff also coordinates loans of the collections both to outside researchers and in-house for University of Michigan faculty and graduate student instructors.
Researchers interested in visiting the collections should read the Access to Collections Policy and fill in and return the Access to Collections Form at least three (3) weeks prior to your requested date of arrival. Please include a brief CV and a statement of research objectives withthe Form. Students requesting access should include a letter of support from at least one advising faculty member from their home institution familiar with the research project.
Please note that UMMAA is currently (as of December, 2024) experiencing an unusually large number of requests for access to collections. As a result, requests relating to NAGPRA will be prioritized. Please be patient. We will respond to your request as soon as we can.
For information about collection, you may contact the Collections staff or the pertinent curator. Here is a list of curators and the collections they oversee:
Robin Beck: Eastern North American Archaeology (except Great Lakes area)
Kent Flannery: Archaeobiology: fauna and flora collections
Tiffany Fryer: Historical and Contemporary Archaeology
Mike Galaty: European Archaeology
Raven Garvey: High Latitude and Western North American Archaeology
Joyce Marcus: Latin American Archaeology
Bryan Miller: Asian Archaeology
John O’Shea: Great Lakes Archaeology
Giulia Saltini Semerari: Mediterranean Archaeology
Brian Stewart: African Archaeology
Alicia Ventresca-Miller: Archaeological Science
Henry Wright: Near Eastern Archaeology, Madagascar, and Comoros Island Archaeology
Loans of research materials or objects for exhibition purposes are made by the Museum to qualified institutions. Loans to individuals are not permitted. Please see the Loan Policy forfurther information. Loan requests must be arranged at least a month (30 days) in advance. Please contact the Collections Manager to discuss all loans.
The Museum’s Policies can be viewed at UMMAA Policies.
If you have any questions about the collections, please contact the curator in charge of the collection.
