Under the Historical, Prehsitorical, and Archaeological Resources Act of 1973 (as amended 1990; C.R.S. 24-80-401 to 410), the State of Colorado claims title to all historical, prehistorical, and archaeological materials recovered from State, county, city, town, district, or other political subdivision of State lands.  Permitted researchers are expected to adhere to the rules set forth by the society for the analysis, transport, and curation of state collections generated under the authority of a state permit.

Obtaining a Curation Agreement

Individuals seeking a state permit that allows for collection must enter into at least one curation agreement with the geographically closest active State-Approved repository capable and willing to take collections from their anticipated excavation or collection sites.

The map below is updated periodically to aid those seeking curation agreements with active State-Approved Repositories. A full-text list containing contact information, and restrictions on material accepted may also be found below.

How to Select a Repository

• Begin with the repository closest to your anticipated working area.
  • If your work area includes previously recorded sites, consult the List of Sites with Repository Names below. Collections from the same site are not to be deposited across multiple repositories whenever possible.

Please note that this list is not comprehensive and will be updated periodically. Please let us know of errors and omissions with State Collections. The Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP) also tracks some private and some Federal repository information, which are not reflected in this list. If you are seeking the repository location of any non-State collections, you should inquire using OAHP's database and site file records.

• Confirm the repository is accepting collections from the area and of the type that you anticipate generating.
• Contact the repository and begin the process of entering into a curation agreement.
  • Discuss and agree to a collection strategy, before the start of fieldwork, that takes into account the anticipated needs of the collection and the limitations of the repository. This strategy should be guided by the project's research design, the scope of the project, and the scale of the resource.
  • Review the fee structure and negotiate any additional costs that may arise due to oversized items or those that require an additional level of care. Repositories may charge fees for the following:
    • Reasonable administrative fee for the processing of a curation agreement.
    • A competitive one-time intake fee for material, typically by the cubic foot.
    • Corrective fees for material that arrives below the level agreed upon between the permittee and repository, or those outlined in the Submission Guidelines put out by our office. This fee is calculated as an hourly rate plus the cost of any supplies.
• Acquire the signed curation agreement.
• Attach the curation agreement(s) to your permit application or submit an amendment request to add them to an existing permit.
  • Please refer to the Archaeology and Paleontology Permits webpage for instructions.

Practices that Require State Approval

Please be aware of the following requirements regarding the below activities involving state collections, as per 8 CCR 1504-7. In addition to repository approval, written consent from History Colorado is necessary for these activities from the time of field collection onward.  The issuance of a permit does not constitute a replacement or exemption from these requirements.

• Out-of-State Transportation and Loans
• Destructive Analysis
• Physical Reproductions
• Disposition
• Transfer
• Commercial Use

Requesting State Approval via the Curation Request Form

As of October 14, 2024, a new online form has been introduced to expedite the request process. Researchers, permittees, and designated repository officials can now use this single form to request the necessary approvals instead of going through multiple individual request processes. You can access the new request form here: Curation Request Form. Upon submission, a notice of approval or denial will be provided to both the permittee/researcher and the Designated Repository Official within 30 days. Please reach out to hc_statecuration@state.co.us with any questions before submitting your request.

The form currently covers Out-of-State Transportation and Loans, Destructive Analysis, and Physical Reproductions only. Additional details on required documentation, rules, requirements, and exemptions not covered in the online form are provided here for your convenience.

The Curation Request Form and attachments may be submitted by either the Designated Repository Official or the qualified Researcher/Permittee.

Out-of-State Transport

The transport of material out of the state of Colorado following collection for any reason, following collection is subject to the securing of a loan agreement between an out-of-state facility and the approved state repository, either currently housing or intended to house the material and listed on the applicable permit, and written approval from History Colorado. All loan agreements are subject to the rules and guidelines detailed in the Loans section of the State Approved Repositories webpage.

Additional Loan Agreement Requirements:

• Collections and their associated sites must be fully recorded and cataloged in the state system. Whenever possible, repository staff should not take on multiple roles in these requests or provide self-approval.

• Ancillary samples as specified in8 CCR 1504-7, Sec. 9(C) 2) are not subject to this requirement.**

Required Attachments:

• CV (s) of the researcher(s) dated within the last five years
• A draft copy of the loan agreement
• Proof of insurance

Destructive Analysis

Any proposed analysis or use of collections materials that would cause their destruction, or damage, such as trace element analysis, gold coating, and histology requires the written consent of History Colorado  Being granted a permit for which the research design indicates you will be performing destructive analysis does not constitute an exemption, substitution, or satisfaction of this requirement. *

Permittees proposing to perform destructive analysis before submission should first contact the intended state-approved repository and make arrangements with them for the proposed analysis. Loan agreements are required if any portion of the material is expected to survive the analysis and be returned to the repository.

• Requests are granted with consideration as to whether such artifacts/specimens are unique or duplicated in other state-owned collections.
• Collections and their associated sites must be fully recorded and cataloged in the state system.
• If any part of the material will remain after the proposed analysis is completed, it is to be returned to the repository for continued curation, and a loan agreement, subject to the rules and guidelines outlined in the Loans section of this webpage, must be issued for the material. If the material is being transported out-of-state, please refer to the Out-of-State Transport section above.

Required Attachments:

• CV (s) of the researcher(s) requesting and/or conducting analyses.
• Research Design. Please clearly outline the intended methods, sampling strategies, etc.
• A draft copy of the loan agreement if any portion of the material is expected to survive analysis and be returned to the state-approved repository.

Physical Reproductions

The creation of physical reproductions through physical means (ex. molding, casting, latex peels), requires the written consent of History Colorado. Being granted a permit for which the research design indicates you will be creating reproductions through physical means, does not constitute an exemption, substitution, or satisfaction of this requirement.

• Justification of the use of physical methods over digital is to be provided in the Curation Request Form.
• Collections and their associated sites must be fully recorded and cataloged in the state system.
• Approval for commercial use is not covered here, and approval through this process does not constitute written consent for the commercial use of the created materials.
• Created molds, casts, peels, and any other reproductions are considered part of the state collection and the property of the State of Colorado unless agreed otherwise and are subject to the same requirements as the rest of the state collection.

Required Attachments:

• CV(s) of the researcher (s) requesting and/or conducting physical reproduction.

 

Transfer

Transfers may only occur between current State-Approved Repositories and may only be proposed to this office by the designated repository officials. Please refer to the Transfer of State Collections section of the State Approved Repositories webpage.

*Ancillary samples are exempted from these requirements per 8 CCR 1504-7 and are defined as organic or inorganic specimens, other than human remains or artifacts, gathered by scientists for the purpose of analysis to provide information on past environments, diets, chronology, or material source areas. Ancillary samples may include but are not limited to, charcoal, wood, soil, coprolites, and floral or faunal specimens. Approval is still required from the State-Approved repository.

Disposition of State Collections

In accordance with 8 CCR 1504-7, Sec. 9(G)11, repositories may not, "With the exception of approved repatriation, not sell, transfer, assign, pledge, encumber, discard, or otherwise dispose of the state collection (or any part thereof) or any associated State of Colorado property in its possession without written and signed permission from the state archaeologist."

To minimize over-collecting and avoid the disposition of non-curatable items, the permittee and repository should agree to a collection strategy before any testing or field collections are conducted. This contract or written agreement should be attached to the curation agreement entered into by both parties. All parties must make sure the repository can accommodate the anticipated needs. Some institutions may not have the ability to curate certain types of material, so make sure this is understood and negotiated first. Other options may need to be explored. Strategies will be guided by the project’s research design, the scope of the project, and the scale of the resource.

If non-curatable collections have been generated by a permittee with which you have a curation agreement or identified within your facility, please refer to the Guidelines for the Disposition of Non-Curated State Collections from a Research Lab or a Museum/Repository linked below to ensure compliance with state laws and regulations.

Qualified individuals wishing to recommend the disposition of portions of the state collections may do so through the submittion of Disposal of Non-Curated State Collections Form and any supporting documentation to hc_statecuration@state.co.us. Please allow 30 days for review.

Submission Deadlines and Requirements

Materials collected under a state permit must be submitted to a repository according to the guidelines below within 6 months of submission of the final report for the permit under which they were collected. Please note that repositories may have more strict requirements that supersede those outlined in the state-issued submission guidelines. Refer to your curation agreement and the designated repository official with any questions.

Permittees are responsible for submitting the following to the State Curation Coordinator via email: hc_statecuration@state.co.us

History Colorado Curation Agreement

IA fillable Application for a History Colorado Curation Agreement may be completed and submitted to hc_statecuration@state.co.us. Please allow 10 business days for processing.

Please note that History Colorado serves only as a backup in case regional and local State-approved repositories are not available. Our standard curation agreements are valid for two years.

Additional Resources