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!
Charles Shaw
Charles Shaw graduated from ISU with a BA in Anthropology in 2023. He served as a career path intern in the Anthropology and Earth Sciences Divisions, employee in the Gallery, and is now an assistant to the Registrar. Throughout his roles he has worked in all areas of the museum, contributing wherever he can!
Trace Miles
Trace Miles is graduating with his BA in Anthropology at ISU in May 2025. He has worked in the Anthropology Collections as a career path intern and on federal contracts since 2023. He processes archaeological collections for long-term curation, but also assists with all other aspects of the museum as the need arises.
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!
Jose Sanchez
Jose Sanchez is a graduate student in Anthropology at ISU. He became a career path intern in 2025 and assists with various projects across all Divisions. Some projects have been inventorying our geology and comparative osteology collections, imaging objects, and helping with QA/QC of our recent inventory of our vertebrate paleontology collections.
Kateea Peterson
Kateea Peterson is a graduate student in Anthropology at ISU. She is a career path intern, and like Jose, assists with various projects across all Divisions. Currently she is working on inventorying our modern bird collection, and QA/QC the catalog and database. She has also worked on imaging objects and cataloging archaeological materials.
Stephanie Greeson
Stephanie Greeson graduated with a BA in Anthropology at ISU in 2024. She has been with us since 2015, working as an intern in our archaeological collections, and is now gallery staff. She also volunteers with our registrar, gaining as much experience as she can in the museum field. We appreciate her commitment and her hard work!
