CULTURAL TREASURES
Create a Virtual Exhibit of Mesa Verde's Museum Collection
This project can be broken out into distinct funding components including the object photography, text development, and digital design and formatting. The virtual exhibit will be hosted at the National Park Service Museum web page – go to www.nps.gov/museum to view existing examples.
Funding Need: $21,000 - $63,000
Conserve Ute Ethnographic Objects in Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum
This project will fund the conservation of 23 Ute ethnographic objects (including beaded moccasins, wooden flutes, and a feather headdress) removed from the museum exhibits in 2016 due to light damage. Mounts will be made so that selected objects can be exhibited in the future.
Funding Need: $20,000
Conserve Chaco and Mesa Verde Prehistoric Vessels
Mesa Verde National Park has a number of fragile prehistoric ceramics that have glues that are failing. This project will remove and replace the failing glues so the objects can be preserved and exhibited in the future.
Funding Need: $1,700 per object
Process the Park's Archival Records Related to Tribal Consultations
Mesa Verde National Park has a wealth of unprocessed records related to tribal consultations and NAGPRA activities. This project would fund two archival interns to process this collection as the first step in getting these records cataloged.
Funding Need: $18,000
Grant Funding for Research
Annual grants would be used to conduct priority research in Mesa Verde National Park. Examples:
• Chemical Analysis of Plasters and Pictograph Paint Pigments
• Ceramic Vessel Studies (contents, chemical analysis of last use)
• Mesa Verde Adhesive Analysis
Funding Need: $15,000 per year
Research Impacts of Fire Suppressants on Cultural Sites
Mesa Verde National Park faces the threat of wildfires every year and works to be prepared to fight fires to protect the park’s natural and cultural resources. Fire suppressants are regularly used to fight wildfires but there is growing concern that these chemicals may negatively impact the park’s cultural resources. The park is seeking funding to provide training and research on the impacts of fire suppressants on cultural resources to create best practices for their use and removal.
Funding Need: $158,000
Digitize Historic Photo Collections
The park has a wealth of historic images that could be digitized for greater accessibility by the American public. The photos include early views of the cliff dwellings, historic structures, roads and other cultural landscape features.
Funding Need: $500 - 25,000
Ancestral Pueblo Community and Landscape Study
Project will provide data needed to protect archeological sites in the Far View Group during future park developments, recover artifact and feature data by visitation, and provide information for planning, management, interpretation, and archeological research.
Funding Need: $22,000
Complete Cataloging of the Wetherill Mesa Archeological Project Records
Over 60 years ago the park initiated the Wetherill Mesa Archeological Project! The largest archeological project of its day, the project was supported by the National Geographic Society. Projects records span 90 linear feet of paper documents and hundreds of maps. NPS archivists have processed 30 LF and 65 map folders. However, 60 LF remains to be cataloged. $5000 will cover student/staff time to complete the project over several years.