Archaeological Collections

Projectile points, Columbia River area, various periods

Among the more than 110,000 items in the Haffenreffer Museum's holdings are nearly 73,000 archaeological artifacts; while strongest in native North American material, the HMA also curates significant holdings from Latin America, as well as smaller numbers from other culture areas, including:

• 69,966 objects from North America
  (Click here) for a summary of the New England Collections
• 1805 objects from South America
• 729 objects from Central America
• 399 objects from Europe
• 40 objects from Africa
• 5 objects from Oceania
• 39 objects from other miscellaneous areas

The Haffenreffer Museum is also a federally-designated repository for 20,000 archaeological objects excavated by Arctic researchers from National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management lands in Alaska.

While current facilities in Bristol limit the number of objects on display at any one time, the collections are available to qualified researchers. The Museum has nearly completed entering the catalogue onto a computerized data base, allowing for easy search and reporting on the collection. For research access, please contact Kevin Smith at (401) 253-8388.