Center for Archaeological Studies to curate, manage TxDOT artifact collections

The Center for Archaeological Studies (CAS) at Texas State University has received a curation services agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation for 2021-2022.

The approximately $290,000 contract will include new initiatives in tasks to the CAS curation services for TxDOT, including specialized artifact imaging and archival processing.

"This funding from TxDOT allows us to not only significantly increase the research and educational value of the collections we care for, but it also enables us to train Texas State students in cutting edge documentation methods," said Amy Reid, CAS curator.  

The agreement adds new services CAS will conduct for TxDOT, including hi-resolution artifact photography using computer-operated, drop-out lighting system with standardized composition for publication, analysis and curation-quality 2D digital images. CAS will also handle 3D scanning and printing, oversized archives scanning and digitization of archival photographic prints, film and slides to better document and share the cultural resources that TxDOT manages.  

CAS is a state-certified repository for archaeological collections. CAS oversees a growing collection of 692 accessions totaling more than 1.3 million objects from archaeological investigations all over Texas. CAS has been curating archaeological collections from TxDOT’s Cultural Resources Management projects since 2011. Texas State's original curation agreement with TxDOT started with curation preparation and final curation services, and has expanded over the years to include collection evaluations, temporary storage and rehabilitation of legacy collections that were created before today’s curation standards.

For more information about CAS, visit https://cas.anthropology.txstate.edu/.

The Center for Archaeological Studies is certified by the Texas Historical Commission as a repository for archaeological records and collections held-in-trust for the Texas Historical Commission.