What to know before you go to the Kelsey
KELSEY MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY
PROTOCOLS FOR HANDS-ON WORK WITH ARTIFACTS
ABOUT YOU
| DO NOT WEAR: | – jewelry that might collide with the artifact (e.g. dangling necklaces, bracelets) – clothes with voluminous, floppy sleeves or with a loose weave that might catch on the artifact |
| DO NOT BRING: | food or beverages to the hands-on sessions. |
| DO WEAR: | handling gloves provided by the Museum |
| DO BRING: | a pencil (NO PENS!) and a notebook. |
| DO LEAVE: | your coat and backpack in the lobby under the guard’s watchful eye. |
ABOUT THE ARTIFACTS
- Always take stock of the condition of the artifact – especially the location of mended joints – before handling it.
- Always hold or work with the artifact over a padded table surface.
- Always keep the artifact away from the edge of the table.
- Do not hold the artifact by its handle, knob, or other projecting element.
- Do not hold the artifact suspended by any one edge.
- When conversing about the artifact do not touch your pencil lead onto its surface as a way of pointing out a feature.
- When passing the artifact to another person, lift it careful over the padded table surface (not over free space) and then place it down carefully on the table near that person – but not near the edge of the table. Make sure the person you are passing the artifact to is aware that you are doing this. Never transfer the artifact from your hands directly to another person’s hands.