Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology facts for kids
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| Established | 1971 |
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| Location | 423 N. Fess Avenue Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana |
| Type | Archaeology |
The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology (GBL) was a special place in Bloomington, Indiana. It was a research center and museum for archaeology. Archaeology is the study of human history and prehistory by digging up old things. In 2020, the GBL joined with another museum. They became the new Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
The GBL was named after Glenn A. Black. He was Indiana's first professional archaeologist. Black spent his life studying the people of Angel Mounds. This is an important ancient site that archaeologists still work on today.
Contents
History of the GBL
The museum officially opened on April 21, 1971. This happened because Eli Lilly asked for it. Lilly was a close friend of Glenn A. Black. He also gave money to help start and run the GBL.
Amazing Collections at the GBL
The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology held many collections. These came from all over Indiana. They also had materials from 38 other states. Plus, there were items from at least 11 other countries.
Archaeological Finds
The collections included over 5 million individual objects. These archaeological materials were cultural artifacts. Some were found during digs, and others were donated. There were also natural and geologic collections. Many came from different sites in the Midwest, like Angel Mounds. The GBL also had special collections for teaching. Schools and tour groups could use these to learn about archaeology.
Ethnohistory Records
The Great Lakes and Ohio Valley Ethnohistory Collection was very important. It had materials put together by Erminie Wheeler-Voegelin. These materials tell the story of different Native American groups. They describe their history and how they used land. This covers the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region from the 1600s to the late 1900s. It also includes information gathered by the Indian Claims Commissions. This collection was very large and helpful for researchers.
Pictures and Films
The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology had a huge collection of images. It included over 12,000 photographs and 9,000 negatives. There were also 8,200 slides and 50 old glass plate images. Plus, they had 100 film reels. These materials show the history of archaeological work in the Midwest. They go all the way back to the 1920s. You could see people like Eli Lilly and Glenn A. Black in these pictures and films.
Library and Archives
The library and archives at the GBL were open for research. You could only study these materials on-site.
James H. Kellar Library
The James H. Kellar library had many books and resources. You could find reports from field excavations there. There were also maps of specific sites in Indiana. Documents about the history of the Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology were also kept here. Many other books about archaeology were available too.
Erminie Wheeler-Voegelin Archives
These archives held many important papers. Some of them included:
- The Great Lakes-Ohio Valley Ethnohistory Collection
- Eli Lilly Archaeology Papers
- Glenn A. Black Papers
- James H. Kellar Papers
- Jack C. Householder Papers
- Noel D. Justice Papers
- Christopher S. Peebles Papers
- Warren K. Moorehead Papers
- Edward V. McMichael Papers
- Douglas S. Byers Papers
- Clifford Anderson Papers
- George K. Neuman Papers
- Sherri Hilgeman Papers
- Midwest Archaeological Conference Records
- Cheryl Munson Papers
- Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology Institutional Records
GBL Fieldwork Archives
The Glenn A. Black Laboratory's Fieldwork Archives kept important documents. These included maps and field books. They also had information from archaeological digs. Documents about Angel Mounds (from 1939-1965) were stored here. Records for the Indiana Historical Society were also part of this archive.
Midwest Rock Collection
The GBL had a special collection of rocks called the Lithic Raw Material Repository. "Lithics" means rocks or stones. This collection helped people understand raw materials from different areas. It had over 500 samples of rocks from North America. Archaeologists, museums, and the government could use this collection. It helped them identify different types of rocks and build their own collections.
