THE INTEGRITY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS IN MUSEUM STORAGE: THE "DESOBJECTIVATION" EFFECT
The issue of integrity of archaeological collections is one of the most significant problems associated with the preservation of information resources and source potential of an archaeological site after the completion of archaeological studies. An archaeological collection which remains the only material evidence and an information imprint of an archaeological site is usually subject to changes in the process of it adapting to the conditions of museum storage, specific features of museum practice, and the mission of the museum. At the same time, due to the fact that the connection between the objects of an archaeological collection, the field and museum documentation can be lost, it is possible to partially or completely violate the integrity of the archaeological collection, which may result in the loss of the archaeological object in terms of its information and source characteristics and attributes. In fact, after the actual destruction of an archaeological site, this leads to destruction of the information field. Perhaps, the solution that will decelerate these processes consists in the development and establishment of a system of accounting, which involves a special approach to archaeological collections as museum collections with unique characteristics.