The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology (GBL) was an archaeology research center and museum located in Bloomington, Indiana. In 2020 the GBL was merged with the Mathers Museum of World Cultures to become the new Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The GBL was dedicated in honor of Indiana's first professional archaeologist Glenn A. Black. Black's adulthood was devoted to studying the people of Angel Mounds, a site that is still being worked with today."About the Glenn Black Laboratory" Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. Accessed 19 Feb. 2017.
History After Glenn A. Black's death in 1964, Eli Lilly began arrangements to construct a building to house his archaeological collections alongside the cultural material from Angel Mounds. James H. Kellar, student of Glenn Black, later hired as Indiana Historical Society archaeologist, and then professor of Anthropology at Indiana University, was selected as the first director of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology.
The design and construction of the building included:
James H. Kellar, Archaeologist-Consultant, Indiana University, Bloomington James Associates, Architects-Engineers, H. Roll McLaughlin, FAIA, Partner in Charge, Indianapolis, Indiana Frits Loonsten, Landscape Architect, Indianapolis, Indiana James T. Lee and Associates, Mechanical Engineers, Indianapolis, Indiana Kimron Construction Company, General Contractors, Indianapolis, Indiana Hudson Piping Contractors, Inc., Mechanical Contractors, Seymour, Indiana Sanborn Electric Company, Electrical Contractors, Indianapolis, Indiana Lilly Endowment, Inc, a major source of funding
The museum was dedicated on April 21, 1971, at the request of Eli Lilly, a close friend of Glenn A. Black, who also endowed the GBL with funds.Kellar, James H. Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. N.p.: n.p., 1971. Print. After Kellar retired in 1986, Christopher Peebles became the center's director. The GBL hosted more than 10 Prehistory Research Fellows who completed their dissertations and assisted with archaeological field research. A cultural resources management (CRM) office was operated from the GBL from 1995 to 2005.Peebles, Christopher. (2007). "Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, Indiana University-Bloomington, Report of the Director Summary of the Years 1996 to 2007." On file at the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, IU Bloomington. April Sievert was appointed director in 2013. For the 2019 State of the University address, then President Michael A. McRobbie announced the merging of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology with the Mathers Museum of World Cultures to form the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Collections The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology holds collections from all over Indiana, materials from 38 other states, and at least 11 other places outside of the United States are included."Collections Overview" Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. Accessed 19 Feb. 2017.
Archaeological Collections Collections include over 5 million individual objects. Archaeological material includes cultural artifacts both from excavated sites and from donations, as well as natural and geologic collections from many different sites in the Midwest, including Angel Mounds. The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology also has multiple types of collections and a teaching collection for use by schools and tour groups."Archaeological Collections" Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. Accessed 21 Feb. 2017.
Ethnohistory Collections The Great Lakes and Ohio Valley Ethnohistory Collection contains materials compiled by Erminie Wheeler-Voegelin. These materials describe the history and land usage of groups/tribes in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region from the 1600s until the late 1900s, and records the information gathered by the Indian Claims Commissions (ICC). According to the GBL's website, "This collection contains 469 linear feet of material and is available for use by researchers.""GL-OV Ethnohistory Collection" Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. Accessed 21 Feb. 2017.
Image/Film Collections The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology has an extensive image collection: it has over 12,000 photographs, 9,000 negatives, 8,200 slides, 50 glass plate images, and 100 16 mm film reels. These materials portray the history of archaeological work in the Midwest since the 1920s. Eli Lilly, Warren K. Moorehead, and Glenn A. Black are some of the professionals shown in these images and films."Image Collections" Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. Accessed 21 Feb. 2017.
Library/Archive Collections The library and archives located at the GBL are available for on-site research only.
James H. Kellar Library The James H. Kellar library contains books and other resources available for study. Some materials include: field excavation research reports, maps of individual sites in Indiana, documents conveying the history of the Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology, and many other books relating to archaeology."Library & Archives" Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. Accessed 21 Feb. 2017.
Erminie Wheeler-Voegelin Archives These archives contain: 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 Taken directly from the GBL's website."Library & Archives" Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. Accessed 21 Feb. 2017.
GBL Fieldwork Archives The Glenn A. Black Laboratory's Fieldwork Archives hold maps, field books, excavation information, and more. Documents relating to Angel Mounds (1939–1965), CRM projects, GBL Field schools, donations, state and federal collections, and records for the Indiana Historical Society are included in this archive."Library & Archives" Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. Accessed 21 Feb. 2017.
Midwest Lithic Repository The GBL's Lithic Raw Material Repository was constructed to create an easier understanding of raw materials from different regions. This repository records over 500 samples of lithics gathered from North America, specifically the Northwest region. Archaeologists, museums, and the government can use this collection to identify types of lithics and work on type collections."Midwest Lithic Repository" Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology. Accessed 21 Feb. 2017.
References
External links Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology - official site