Rehousing the Ethnobotanical and Archaeobotanical Collections of the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology

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The University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology Ethnobotanical Laboratory contains more than 33,000 botanical specimens and associated documentation for the study of cultural uses of plant species in the past and present. Specimens from more than 700 archaeological sites provide critical evidence for examining the domestication of wild species, climate change, and human interactions with the environment over the last 10,000-plus years. Collections from numerous early 20th century Native American communities provide insights into indigenous agricultural and ecological practices with important implications for contemporary issues of sustainability and biodiversity. This award will provide funding to improve the care and documentation of these important collections by: rehousing them in new archival quality cabinets, updating database information, and expanding physical and digital access to collection information. Along with assuring the preservation of irreplaceable ethnobotanical samples, the broader impacts of this project include increasing access to the collections to scholars and students at the University of Michigan and, through web dissemination, far beyond. In addition, the Museum will develop and enhance relations with national and international biodiversity and botanical organizations, disseminating collection information via the internet, and will collaborate with heritage communities, particularly Native American tribes, in studying ethnobotanical knowledge and resources.