[NHCOLL-L:1951] FW: Ontario collections dumped!
Bob Glotzhober
bglotzhober at ohiohistory.org
Wed Jun 18 07:08:13 EDT 2003
Here is some bad news from our archaeology colleagues.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Martha Otto
> Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 3:44 PM
> To: Collections/Curatorial
> Subject: FW: Ontario collections dumped!
>
> Thought you might be interested in what can happen if collections are not continually monitored.
>
> M
>
> Martha Potter Otto
> Curator of Archaeology
> Ohio Historical Society
> 1982 Velma Avenue
> Columbus, OH 43211
> 614/297-2641 voice
> 614/297-2411 fax
>
> Visit the OHS website, http://www.ohiohistory.org
> Visit the Ohio Archaeological Council's website, http://www.ohioarchaeology.org
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brian G. Redmond [SMTP:bredmond at cmnh.org]
> Sent: Monday, June 09, 2003 11:05 AM
> To: atonetti at ascgroup.net; whitman at uakron.edu; Martha Otto; mseeman at kent.edu; pasteam at earthlink.net; burks.22 at osu.edu; robert.riordan at wright.edu; mpurtill at graypape.com; bgenheimer at cincymuseum.org
> Subject: Ontario collections dumped!
>
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> >>Subject: [OAS-L] Digest Number 431
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> >>
> >>The Ontario Archaeological Society, Ontario's Best Kept Secret!
> >>------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >>There are 3 messages in this issue.
> >>
> >>Topics in this digest:
> >>
> >> 1. Disaster at Scarborough College, UofT
> >> From: "Christine Caroppo" <oasprez at hotmail.com>
> >> 2. Re: Disaster at Scarborough College, UofT
> >> From: Eva MacDonald/David Robertson <emmdar at sympatico.ca>
> >> 3. Re: Disaster at Scarborough College, UofT
> >> From: Elanya <elanya at quiscalus.com>
> >>
> >>
> >>________________________________________________________________________
> >>________________________________________________________________________
> >>
> >>Message: 1
> >> Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2003 21:24:44 -0000
> >> From: "Christine Caroppo" <oasprez at hotmail.com>
> >>Subject: Disaster at Scarborough College, UofT
> >>
> >>Dear colleagues,
> >>
> >>I have the great misfortunate of having to relate to you some very bad
> >>news. It has recently come to the attention of the OAS that on or
> >>about the date of 1 May 2003, a disposal crew was directed, to knock
> >>down the walls of the secure, locked storage cages which housed the
> >>inactive artifact collections at the University of Toronto at
> >>Scarborough. The contents of those cages were loaded into dump trucks
> >>and disposed with the Toronto garbage in Michigan. All of this was
> >>carried out without the knowledge or permission of the steward of
> >>those collections, Dr. Marti Latta.
> >>
> >>You must be feeling the same profound sense of loss and "this can't be
> >>happening" that I felt when Marti first told me. The scope of the
> >>loss is staggering. Its full extent is still being determined.
> >>
> >>The current inventory: some or all artifacts from 23 sites, of which
> >>21 are aboriginal and two are colonial. The lost material - 289 boxes
> >>of various sizes - included field records, analysis data, lithic raw
> >>material, and personal books and papers as well as artifacts, faunal>
> >>bone, and botanical remains. An estimated total of 433,000 artifacts
> >>(not all diagnostics), have been destroyed.
> >>
> >>Most of the sites excavated by members of the OAS in our early years
> >>are utterly gone.
> >>
> >>We will be posting more details on this tragedy as they become
> >>available. In the meantime, let me go on record as stating that the
> >>OAS does not hold Dr. Latta responsible for this disaster in any way.
> >>Indeed, if anything, she is a victim. We support Dr. Latta
> >>wholeheartedly and trust that the rest of our community does as well.
> >>
> >>
> >>Sincerely,
> >>Christine Caroppo
> >>OAS President
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>________________________________________________________________________
> >>________________________________________________________________________
> >>
> >>Message: 2
> >> Date: Thu, 05 Jun 2003 23:01:33 -0400
> >> From: Eva MacDonald/David Robertson <emmdar at sympatico.ca>
> >>Subject: Re: Disaster at Scarborough College, UofT
> >>
> >>To Professor Marti Latta, the OAS, past and present students of Ontario
> >>Archaeology, and future students who will not have the joy of studying 23
> >>assemblages from Ontario sites:
> >>
> >>My sincere condolences.
> >>
> >>As a recent graduate student in the department of anthropology at the
> >>University of Toronto, where my MSc advisor was Marti Latta, and where in
> >>the 1980s I learned Ontario archaeology as an undergraduate by handling
> >>collections from the Beeton and Auger sites, I am truly ashamed that the
> >>destruction of so many significant collections could happen in the blink of
> >>an eye as a result of bureaucratic mismanagement.
> >>
> >>Perhaps I am not surprised, however, that so little value is placed on
> >>Ontario archaeology at an Ontario university. At the Canadian Archaeological
> >>Association's May 2003 conference plenary session, held at McMaster
> >>University in Hamilton, I could count on one hand the students from Ontario
> >>universities who spoke passionately about doing Ontario archaeology. Where
> >>is the funding and faculty support for doing Ontario Archaeology? It is
> >>virtually non-existent.
> >>
> >>What does the OAS intend to do about the destruction of 23 Ontario
> >>archaeological collections? We cannot sit on the sidelines on this matter.
> >>The U of T at Scarborough (excluding Dr. Latta) must be held accountable.
> >>
> >>Sincerely, Eva MacDonald.
> >>
> >>emmdar at sympatico.ca
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>________________________________________________________________________
> >>________________________________________________________________________
> >>
> >>Message: 3
> >> Date: Fri, 06 Jun 2003 06:51:09 -0400
> >> From: Elanya <elanya at quiscalus.com>
> >>Subject: Re: Disaster at Scarborough College, UofT
> >>
> >>Apparently there is a Globe and Mail article on this tragic
> >>accident...
> >>http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030606.uarti0606/BNStory
> /National/
> >>
> >>-Heather H
> >>
> >>At 09:24 PM 6/5/2003 +0000, you wrote:
> >>>Dear colleagues,
> >>>
> >>>I have the great misfortunate of having to relate to you some very bad
> >>>news. It has recently come to the attention of the OAS that on or
> >>>about the date of 1 May 2003, a disposal crew was directed, to knock
> >>>down the walls of the secure, locked storage cages which housed the
> >>>inactive artifact collections at the University of Toronto at
> >>>Scarborough. The contents of those cages were loaded into dump trucks
> >>>and disposed with the Toronto garbage in Michigan. All of this was
> >>>carried out without the knowledge or permission of the steward of
> >>>those collections, Dr. Marti Latta.
> >>>
> >>>You must be feeling the same profound sense of loss and "this can't be
> >>>happening" that I felt when Marti first told me. The scope of the
> >>>loss is staggering. Its full extent is still being determined.
> >>>
> >>>The current inventory: some or all artifacts from 23 sites, of which>
> >>>21 are aboriginal and two are colonial. The lost material - 289 boxes
> >>>of various sizes - included field records, analysis data, lithic raw
> >>>material, and personal books and papers as well as artifacts, faunal
> >>>bone, and botanical remains. An estimated total of 433,000 artifacts
> >>>(not all diagnostics), have been destroyed.
> >>>
> >>>Most of the sites excavated by members of the OAS in our early years
> >>>are utterly gone.
> >>>
> >>>We will be posting more details on this tragedy as they become
> >>>available. In the meantime, let me go on record as stating that the
> >>>OAS does not hold Dr. Latta responsible for this disaster in any way.
> >>>Indeed, if anything, she is a victim. We support Dr. Latta
> >>>wholeheartedly and trust that the rest of our community does as well.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>Sincerely,
> >>>Christine Caroppo
> >>>OAS President
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>The Ontario Archaeological Society, Ontario's Best Kept Secret!
> >>>
> >>>Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>________________________________________________________________________
> >>________________________________________________________________________
>
>
>
> Brian G. Redmond, Ph.D. Phone:216-231-4600, ext. 301
> Curator and Head of Archaeology, FAX: 216-231-5919
> Director of Science
> The Cleveland Museum of Natural History
> 1 Wade Oval Dr., University Circle
> Cleveland, Ohio 44106-1767
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