I am replying to Michael K. Trimble's request for information on costing the long-term care of archaeological collections. As a conservator who deals with archaeological collections my real answer is "it depends". Costs really do depend on the collection that you are housing. It is a lot easier to house a bunch of lithics than it is a pile of iron. Determining these costs for an existing collection will take a bit of work. I recently completed a survey of the archaeological collections belonging to the Ontario Heritage Foundation (OHF) (a provincially funded group). I assessed the condition of the collections and made recommendations as to how they should be packed, housed and organized. I would urge Mr. Trimle to determine the extent, make up and condition of the collections he is dealing with prior to comining up with any real costs. I am pleased to see that the costs of such an undertaking are being considered. Far too often this is not the case. Good Luck. Susan L. Maltby, Conservator 15 Rains Avenue Toronto, Ontario M6G 3H4 (416) 537-3446 [log in to unmask]