Sierra Mono Museum Archaeological Facility

The Sierra Mono Museum & Archaeological Curation Facility (SMM) is dedicated to preserving historic and prehistoric archaeological materials from the Central Californian region. The Sierra Mono Museum’s interpretive collections are comprised of artifacts, folk art, and natural specimens which are directly related to Mono Indian Culture or serve as comparisons which demonstrate some facet of Mono Indian life and history. Several Native American Tribes are represented by various objects within the Museum’s permanent collections on exhibit. The museum is multifaceted and has archaeological and historical collections as well as a collection of natural history specimens.
The Sierra Mono Museum acquired and maintains these collections for several reasons:

First, to preserve elements of natural and cultural history of the Central Sierra Region;
Second, to document the people, events, and history that are distinctive of the Mono People;
Third, to support the interpretation of Mono Culture through research.

New acquisitions of both natural and cultural artifacts at the Sierra Mono Museum will be considered if they fulfill these criteria. The Sierra Mono Museum has a legal and ethical mandate to obtain and maintain collections to which it can provide curatorial management. For information on how to donate and item to the museum, please contact Barbara Ezell, Collections Manager (559) 877-2115 / email

SMM Archaeological Curation Facility benefits the public, amateur, and professional archaeological community. Our Curation Facility accepts archaeological material, associated documents for curation, and provides access to collections by qualified researchers. The Curation Facility meets CFR 79.9 standards to provide adequate long-term curatorial services. Please link to the Policies & Procedures above to read more about the facility.

RESEARCH
The Archaeological Facility is open to qualified researchers [please see Policies on guidelines to submit and application for research]. The collections currently housed contain invaluable information pertinent to the history of the Central Valley and Sierra Foothills. Access to these collections is available to researchers and students interested in the study of the last 10,000 years of human occupation of this area. The museum collections and archaeological materials and are non-renewable resources; materials excavated from specific sites may be all that we ever know about a past culture of lifestyle. Technological advances in the last 10 years, such as DNA and residue analysis, have allowed old collections to offer new information. Future advances will provide opportunities to learn even more.