Hi Steven - Our collections policy includes a section, just after the Scope
and Statement of Purpose, which describes the contents of our collections.
We have natural history collections and cultural collections, and several
important sub-collections within each division, each of which are described
briefly in this section.  Hope this helps,

Lindsey Richardson
Collections Manager
The Children's Museum
300 Congress Street
Boston, MA  02210
Tel. 617 426 6500 x366
Fax 617 426 1944
www.bostonkids.org


-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Stewart [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2003 2:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Artifact: meaning

Our general museum is revamping our Collections Managament Policy.
According to our mission, we collect, preserve and interpret items of a
historical, artistic, and scientifc nature.  I am from an Anthropological
background and was taught to diffrentiate material items according to
whether or not they are modified by humans.  I.E. ARTIFACTS are objects
that are altered by human activity and an ecofact is an item that is
unaltered by human activity.  Due to the fact that we collect plant and
animal remains and rocks for the science part of our misison, I am thinking
that in our Scope of Collections area that this distinction should be made.

To those of you who are part of a general museum, what are your thoughts?

Steven Stewart
Customs House Museum and Cultural Cetner

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