Analysis of the Egyptian material in the collections of the Museum of Texas Tech University

Museums vary greatly in purpose, scope, size, complexity, subject matter, and methodology. However, all museums have one thing in common, i.e., collections (Ambrose and Paine, 1993). All museums fundamentally are alike in that they use objects for various purposes, including exhibition and research. As museums are defined by their collections, they have a responsibility to care for and preserve them. This responsibility includes proper storage, handling, exhibition, and conservation. As part of this care, museums also have a responsibility to collect and preserve information about their objects (Stone, 1984).

The informational component of any object for which museums are responsible may be divided into two parts. The first part is documentation or data relating to the function, origin, composition, or cultural identification of the object. This sort of material may be derived from research or it may be collected directly from the source of the object when it is obtained. The other part of object information is collections management information or facts relating to the current condition, past and present care, and conservation of an artifact. This sort of data usually results from good record keeping and careful monitoring of collections (Schmiegel, 1995).