UH Anthropology Dept.
Archaeology Program
Labs Home Page

How Is Our Lab Space Organized,
And Why Is It Organized That Way?
 

In the last few years our labs have undergone a number of changes. The compelling forces behind our most obvious changes have been the limited amount of space we have available, and growing pressure on archaeological facilities to improve curation capabilities. The time is fast approaching when it will be difficult, if not impossible, to get grant funding if we can’t provide what are considered basic lab capabilities, and aren't able to meet minimum curation standards. Curation standards emphasize adequate security, environmental control, and rigorous record keeping procedures.

The changes we’ve made to our labs include improved environmental control and security for our equipment and collections, and reorganization of activities to make more efficient use of the limited space we have available. Commonly-accepted lab management practices and procedures have also been instituted.

A number of factors must be considered to determine where various archaeological activities take place in our Dean Hall facilities.

Dean Hall is one of the oldest buildings on the campus (constructed in 1929), and the infrastructure (room layout, electrical distribution and capacity, plumbing, etc.) is a product of the original construction, and years of minor and often inadequate adjustments to changing building uses and evolving electrical technology. Much of the wiring, and some of the plumbing, in the building is below code. With the recent introduction of dozens of window air conditioner units and large numbers of computers, printers, etc., the present trunk lines and wiring have been pushed to their limits (and sometimes beyond). Major, and very expensive, renovation work (the kind that requires moving everybody out of the building for a year or more) are unquestionably needed, but present budgetary and campus space constraints prevent this kind of renovation work for the forseeable future. Consequently, when we make decisions about how rooms (or spaces) are to be used, the following are some of the questions that need to be answered first:

  • How much space does the activity require?
  • What kind of/how much electricity is needed (110/220v., number of outlets, location of outlets)?
  • Does it need to be air conditioned, or do the windows need to be opened for ventilation?
  • Is it an activity that requires a very clean environment, or does it produce a lot of dirt?
  • Is a sink needed?
  • Are multiple activities compatible in this space?
  • Are internet connections required?
  • What kinds of furniture (cabinets, shelves, tables) and equipment are needed? Would the furniture and equipment have to be located/grouped in a particular manner?
  • How would locations of windows/walls/doors/traffic patterns impact how furniture could be placed?
  • What are the security needs?

The way the lab space is presently set up is based on the best and most efficient use of the resources we presently have available for the kinds of lab activities we currently have on-going. The situation is far from perfect, and adjustments need to be made periodically to compensate for evolving teaching and research needs, but until/unless we get more space and major renovations, it’s what we have to work with. Keeping the labs manager informed of teaching and research plans and needs is essential to keeping this rather precarious system working.