Our archaeology collections contain a wide variety of material, such as prehistoric stone flakes and tools, pottery, ornamental objects (e.g., beads, pendants), cordage, faunal remains, and organic and soil samples, as well as historic items, such as cans, bottles, tableware, clothing items, and ammunition. Most objects originate from southern Idaho, and are housed in the Earl H. Swanson Archaeological Repository (ESAR). ESAR houses and maintains collections and associated documentation resulting from surveys and excavations occurring on federal or state lands, or through federal/state projects, in eastern Idaho.
The museum also curates numerous archaeological specimens from across Idaho and nearby states, donated by private owners in its Anthropology Division. Together the museum’s archaeological collections contain over 175,000 catalog entries representing over 1.2 million individual objects.
Online access to our Archaeology Collections in progress
Our Archaeology Collections will be placed online as we complete consultation with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes on materials and/or information that may be culturally sensitive. Please check back for updates.
Earl H. Swanson Archaeological Repository
The Earl H. Swanson Archaeological Repository (ESAR) is one of three archaeological repositories operating under the Archaeological Survey of Idaho (ASI), whose core mission is to ensure that archaeological materials recovered within the State of Idaho are curated and remain within the state for the benefit of public and scientific interests, and to guarantee their continued accessibility for study and other educational purposes. All collections are available to the public for such purposes, in accordance with the IMNH Collections Management Policy, the ESAR Curation Policies, and Procedures, and all applicable laws and regulations regarding the maintenance and use of federally and state-owned or administered collections.
ESAR houses and maintains collections and associated documentation resulting from surveys and excavations occurring on federal or state lands, or through federal/state projects, in eastern Idaho since the 1950s. While the physical inventory is still in progress, our database currently includes over 165,000 entries, representing at least 1.2 million individual artifacts (i.e., individual flakes, bone fragments, potsherds, and so on) recovered from over 4,880 sites in eastern Idaho. Over 95% of the collection is prehistoric in nature, with <5% from the historic era. This includes a wide variety of material, such as prehistoric stone tools and implements, pottery, ornamental objects (e.g., beads, pendants), basketry, faunal remains, and organic and soil samples, as well as historic cans, bottles, tableware, clothing items, ammunition, construction material, and machinery parts. The majority of these materials originate from federal lands, including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, US Forest Service, and the Department of Energy-Idaho National Laboratory, though ESAR does maintain collections from state and private lands as well.
ESAR is the Eastern Repository, specifically managing collections from 24 counties in eastern Idaho. Its counterparts are the Western Repository, managed by the Idaho State Historical Society in Boise, and the Northern Repository, managed by the Alfred W. Bower’s Laboratory for Anthropology at the University of Idaho in Moscow.
- Bannock (BK)
- Bear Lake (BL)
- Bingham (BM)
- Blaine (BN)
- Bonneville (BV)
- Butte (BT)
- Camas (CM)
- Caribou (CU)
- Cassia (CA)
- Clark (CL)
- Custer (CR)
- Franklin (FR)
- Fremont (FM)
- Gooding (GG)
- Jefferson (JF)
- Jerome (JE)
- Lemhi (LH)
- Lincoln (LN)
- Madison (MO)
- Minidoka (MA)
- Oneida (OA)
- Power (PR)
- Teton (TN)
- Twin Falls (TF)
- Ada (AA)
- Adams (AM)
- Boise (BO)
- Canyon (CN)
- Elmore (EL)
- Gem (GM)
- Owyhee (OE)
- Payette (PE)
- Valley (VY)
- Washington (WN)
- Benewah (BW)
- Bonner (BR)
- Boundary (BY)
- Clearwater (CW)
- Idaho (IH)
- Kootenai (KA)
- Latah (LT)
- Lewis (LE)
- Nez Perce (NP)
- Shoshone (SE)
The IMNH strives to provide opportunities for hands-on experience in all aspects pertaining to museums and collections, such as preservation, record-keeping, and administrative requirements for object curation; archaeological and paleontological specimen identification and description; exhibit design and implementation; marketing; and educational/public outreach. We have been incredibly fortunate to have so many amazing students over the years interested in learning about and assisting with projects and tasks necessary to preserve and maintain our collections, and in participating in public outreach and education. Whether they be workstudy students, career path interns, employees hired on to work on federal collections, and even volunteers, all of them have been hard-working and dedicated to our mission. We couldn't accomplish all that we do without them!
Bailey Bates
Bailey Bates graduated with a BA in Anthropology at ISU in 2023. She worked as a career path intern processing archaeological collections for long-term curation, became a mother, and returned to work on federal contracts in 2024. Bailey has become very proficient in artifact and bone identification, and we are lucky to have her back!
Cameron Cota
Cameron Cota is an undergraduate student in Anthropology at ISU and our most recent employee. She started as a workstudy student in 2025 and is now a career path intern. She has been inventorying sites in ESAR and assists on other Museum projects as the need arises. We have a lot of plans to help her gain experience in the museum field!
Isabel Lara Maldonado
Isabel Lara Maldonado began work with us in the fall semester of 2025. She is a graduate student in Anthropology at ISU and hopes to work in museum outreach and community engagement once she completes her degree. So far she is gaining hands-on experience in processing museum collections, which will help with her with that career goal!
Grace Christensen
Grace is an undergraduate student in Anthropology at ISU and joined us in the fall semester of 2025. She has experience in field work through a field school and seasonal employment, but came to us to learn more about the curation side of archaeology. She wants to gain experience on curation, record keeping, and analysis of artifacts to inform on best practices in the field.
Kristal Herrera
We have been lucky to have Kristal with us for the last couple of years. She received her Bachelor's in Fine Arts and a double minor in Art History and Anthropology from ISU. She previously worked in our gallery, but currently works as both the Registrar and Exhibits assistant. She is extremely talented, recently creating a wonderful new diorama for our Oryctodromeus display, while helping with all things in collections!
Sara Haynes
Sara is our newest member, starting with us in the spring semester of 2026. While only an undergraduate student in Anthropology at ISU, she has already gained experience in the museum field with work at the Idaho State Museum in Boise, in both collections and exhibit creation! She hopes to continue this at the IMNH, and will assist the Registrar on organizing and cataloging the Museums Archives.