Why are some museum objects treated with pesticide?
Museums and individual collectors have a long history of using pesticides to safeguard artifacts against pests. Unfortunately, many of these substances used in the early 1900s through the 1970s are now know to be harmful to human health. It is important to be aware of the history of objects before repatriating them, as it can have serious health implications for a community. For example, if sacred objects are contaminated, they could be harmful for community members to handle. In the case of contaminated human remains or funerary objects, it could be hazardous to rebury or cremate them, as it may impact ground water or contaminate the air quality. If museums or Federal agencies have knowledge of such contamination, they are required under NAGPRA to disclose this to the tribe during consultation. For more information on pesticide contamination please see Nason, James. 2001 Dangerous Collections! Pesticides in Museum Materials. History News 56(3): 21-25. (PDF).
