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Perspective

Leveraging legacy archaeological collections as proxies for climate and environmental research

View ORCID ProfileFrankie St. Amand, View ORCID ProfileS. Terry Childs, View ORCID ProfileElizabeth J. Reitz, View ORCID ProfileSky Heller, View ORCID ProfileBonnie Newsom, View ORCID ProfileTorben C. Rick, View ORCID ProfileDaniel H. Sandweiss, and View ORCID ProfileRyan Wheeler
  1. aClimate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469;
  2. bAnthropology Department, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469;
  3. cDepartment of the Interior Museum Program, Washington, DC 20240;
  4. dGeorgia Museum of Natural History, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602;
  5. eDepartment of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012;
  6. fRobert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology, Andover, MA 01810

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PNAS April 14, 2020 117 (15) 8287-8294; first published April 13, 2020; https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1914154117
Frankie St. Amand
aClimate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469;
bAnthropology Department, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469;
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  • ORCID record for Frankie St. Amand
  • For correspondence: anne.st@maine.edu
S. Terry Childs
cDepartment of the Interior Museum Program, Washington, DC 20240;
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Elizabeth J. Reitz
dGeorgia Museum of Natural History, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602;
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  • ORCID record for Elizabeth J. Reitz
Sky Heller
aClimate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469;
bAnthropology Department, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469;
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Bonnie Newsom
aClimate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469;
bAnthropology Department, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469;
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Torben C. Rick
eDepartment of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013-7012;
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Daniel H. Sandweiss
aClimate Change Institute, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469;
bAnthropology Department, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469;
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Ryan Wheeler
fRobert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology, Andover, MA 01810
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  • ORCID record for Ryan Wheeler
  1. Edited by Dolores R. Piperno, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, and approved January 8, 2020 (received for review August 15, 2019)

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Abstract

Understanding the causes and consequences of previous climate changes is essential for testing present-day climate models and projections. Archaeological sites are paleoenvironmental archives containing unique ecological baselines with data on paleoclimate transformations at a human timescale. Anthropogenic and nonanthropogenic forces have destroyed many sites, and others are under immediate threat. In the face of this loss, previously excavated collections from these sites—referred to as legacy collections—offer a source of climate and other paleoenvironmental information that may no longer exist elsewhere. Here, we 1) review obstacles to systematically using data from legacy archaeological collections, such as inconsistent or unreported field methods, inadequate records, unsatisfactory curation, and insufficient public knowledge of relevant collections; 2) suggest best practices for integrating archaeological data into climate and environmental research; and 3) summarize several studies to demonstrate the benefits and challenges of using legacy collections as archives of local and regional environmental proxies. Data from archaeological legacy collections contribute regional ecological baselines as well as serve to correct shifting baselines. They also enable regional climate reconstructions at various timescales and corroborate or refine radiocarbon dates. Such uses of legacy collections raise ethical concerns regarding ownership of and responsibility for cultural resources and highlight the importance of Indigenous involvement in planning and executing fieldwork and stewardship of cultural heritage. Finally, we discuss methodologies, practices, and policies pertaining to archaeological legacy collections and support calls for discipline-wide shifts in collections management to ensure their long-term utility in multidisciplinary research and public engagement.

  • archaeology
  • climate research
  • climate proxies
  • legacy archaeological collections

Footnotes

  • ↵1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: anne.st{at}maine.edu.
  • ↵2Retired.

  • Author contributions: F.S.A., S.T.C., E.J.R., S.H., B.N., T.C.R., D.H.S., and R.W. wrote the paper.

  • The authors declare no competing interest.

  • This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.

Published under the PNAS license.

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Leveraging legacy archaeological collections as proxies for climate and environmental research
Frankie St. Amand, S. Terry Childs, Elizabeth J. Reitz, Sky Heller, Bonnie Newsom, Torben C. Rick, Daniel H. Sandweiss, Ryan Wheeler
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Apr 2020, 117 (15) 8287-8294; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1914154117

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Leveraging legacy archaeological collections as proxies for climate and environmental research
Frankie St. Amand, S. Terry Childs, Elizabeth J. Reitz, Sky Heller, Bonnie Newsom, Torben C. Rick, Daniel H. Sandweiss, Ryan Wheeler
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Apr 2020, 117 (15) 8287-8294; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1914154117
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: 117 (15)
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    • Abstract
    • Legacy Collections in Action
    • The Intersection of Legacy Collections and Indigenous Stakeholders
    • Incorporating Legacy Collections into Environmental Research
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