The Turks and Caicos National Museum is involved with on-going
archaeological work on the Tainos in these islands. Last summer we found a
canoe paddle in a mangrove-peat area that was carbon-dated to a median 1100
AD date. This is onlythesecond ever found in the Bahamas archipelago, the
other was found in 1912, so you can guess how rare such artifacts are for
these islands. We are trying to locate Taino artifacts in other
collections. Is there anything in this collection that indicates eact
provenance? Is an inventory list available?  Are there any images of
artifacts?  WHERE is the REST of the collection?
 Thanks,
 Barry Dressel,
 Director TCNM

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> From: William P. Scott <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Paul Burke's Taino Collection
> Date: 07 August 1997 14:31
>
> Okay, this is a long shot.  But, I thought I'd put it out there anyway,
> just in case . . . .
>
> I am looking for information about Paul Burke and his collection of Taino
> artifacts.  He lived in Philadelphia and worked during his retirement at
> the Rittenhouse Plaza as an elevator operator.  Beyond that, I know very
> little.  We recently received some of his collection that was given to
> another party as a gift before Mr. Burke's death in 1989. This donation
> also included documentation of his collection of around 200 Taino
> pieces, about seven of which we now have.
>
> My question for the L is this:  has anyone, by any chance, received any
> other part of his collection from his estate.  I know that he was looking
> for a "proper home" for his collection before his death, and wonder if
> some member of his family might have followed up on that.  (Of course, I
> don't know whether he had any family).
>
> I am in the process of trying to contact someone at Rittenhouse Plaza who
> may have known him, but that is currently my only lead.
>
> For obvious reasons, it would be nice to keep the entire collection
together.
> Any information will be greatly appreciated!  Please respond to me
> personally, since I assume this will be of little interest to the list.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> William P. Scott
> Collections Manager
> Mathers Museum
> Indiana University
> 601 E. 8th St.
> Bloomington, IN  47405
>
> [log in to unmask]