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Introduction
Contact Information
What's New In Research
COLLECTIONS
Collections
Facing Their World: Native Cradleboards in the Eastern Woodlands
Of Earth and Sky Contemporary Iroquois Strawberry Motifs
HISTORICAL RESEARCH
ARCHAEOLOGY
Archaeology at Mashantucket
What's New In Research

New Programs

Behind the Scenes in Research

New Work in Archaeology

 

New Work in Collections

IMLS Grant

The MPMRC has received an IMLS two year grant, the “Northeast Native Museum and Cultural Center Leadership Consortium”.  This provides for a partnership between the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, Akwesasne Cultural Center, Seneca-Iroquois National Museum, Wampanoag Indian Program at Plimoth Plantation, Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center and Museum, and the Penobscot Nation Cultural and Historical Preservation Department. 

Part of this grant provides for professional development for the partners.  One area of need identified by our partners has been collections care.  Our staff conservator Doug Currie and collections managers Kim Peters and Meredith Vasta have developed in consultation with our partners an individualized collections care workshop for each partner to meet whatever specific collections care topics they are most interested in.  We will be traveling to each of the five partner museums to do an on-site workshop with their staff.  This will give us an opportunity to exchange new ideas and try to tackle some of our common collections care problems together.

 

New Work in Conservation


Historic Military Artifacts Conserved at Research Center
Archaeologists in Massachusetts recently excavated several military artifacts from a Revolutionary war era site probably dating back to a well-documented skirmish of April 19, 1775 known as “Parker’s Revenge.” The previously undisturbed site, located on an unused area of Hanscom Air Force Base in Concord, is being prepared for transfer from the United States Air Force to the National Park Service. Among the artifacts found are musket balls (fired and un-fired), a brass shoe buckle, a fascine knife or “bill hook,” and a musket ball bullet mold that produces a size caliber ball for pistols. All of these artifacts were fragile and corroded when excavated and required immediate treatment for preservation. The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, one of the leading institutions in the northeast for archaeological conservation, was contracted by the United States Air Force to document and treat these important historical objects. Over the last year and a half the Conservation Department has photographed, x-rayed, removed corrosion, and stabilized all the artifacts from the “Parker’s Revenge” site to preserve them. Several of the artifacts will eventually go on display at Minuteman National Park and possibly the Pentagon as representations of the first battle of the United States military.


Iron bullet mold for casting lead ball, after conservation

Iron bullet mold for casting lead ball, after conservation

Iron Billhook, wooden handle missing, before conservaton treatment

Iron Billhook, wooden handle missing, before conservaton treatment