The Prehistory of Morro Bay: Central California’s Overlooked Estuary

Abstract

The resources are organized into seven key topics for quick location of information. The directory is also hosted on the Society for American Archaeology’s website to ensure that web links are kept up to date. The authors of this volume revisit and expand upon many of the topics presented in a preceding, similar edited volume, Our Collective Responsibility: The Ethics and Practice of Archaeological Collections Stewardship (Childs 2004). Since that volume was published, there has been recognizable progress in the state of collections care. Preparing for, and justifying the costs of, collectionsrelated tasks has become more routine for project planners. The ways in which collections are put to use for public, community, and scholarly benefit continue to increase. Yet, some challenges persist. In many regions, available repository space is still in short supply and getting slimmer. Funding for curation is chronically insufficient. Many individuals still resist practices that would increase collections access and decision-making agency for stakeholders outside of professional or scholarly settings. In light of these ongoing issues, and in hopes of continuing the upward progress that has been made, this volume is a crucial read for all who take part in creating archaeological collections.