Section 312IAC21-3-7. Curation

   (a) A principal investigator must place in a facility that is secure, but accessible to other professionals, the materials, records, documentation, and reports produced under this article. A principal investigator must ensure that adequate methods are applied to catalog, clean, preserve, and curate collections and their documentation. Curation must provide proper packaging, cataloging, storage, treatment, preservation, transportation, and protection of archaeological materials in the field, the laboratory, and during the curation process.

  (b) A curation facility must be staffed with personnel trained in the long term preservation and protection of archaeological collections. The chief curator of materials recovered under this article must have a master's degree or two (2) years of supervisory experience in collection management, maintenance, classification, cataloging, and conservation. The curator also must be experienced in museology and in educational and public programs. The curation facility must use an accession system to coordinate access to artifacts, specimens, documents, and other curated products. The facility must demonstrate environmentally sound storage areas and adequate security against theft.

  (c) This section does not apply unless the owner of an artifact or other material removed during an archaeological investigation consents, in writing, to the curation of the artifact or other material.

  (d) As used in this section, "material" does not include human remains. Ownership to an artifact rests with the landowner unless transferred, in writing, to another person. (Natural Resources Commission; 312 IAC 21-3-7; filed Jun 8, 2001, 12:30 p.m.: 24 IR 3020; readopted filed Jul 19, 2007, 12:28 p.m.: 20070808-IR-312070184RFA; readopted filed Sep 19, 2013, 10:16 a.m.: 20131016-IR-312130184RFA)