Explores the philosophy, practice, and approach of archaeological museums, which acquire and hold the stored material culture of the ancient, medieval, and postmedieval past and its associated archive. The concept of the archaeological archive (including the material remains and their documentation, etc.) is explored in detail. Beyond philosophy, exhibition, and presentation, questions of retention, storage, and conservation are taken up in detail. Chapter 7, Issues in Conservation, deals with archaeological conservation services, relationships between conservators and curators, and conservation of objects for display. The question of restoration to original form begins with a discussion of how we know what the original form was, whether the later historical alterations should be preserved as well, and the fact that the owner, curator, and conservator must all be involved in conservation decisions. Reversibility and minimum intervention are also included. The Roman bronze head of Lucius Aurelius Verus (reshaped in the workshops of Smith and Plowden) and the Early Bronze Age gold lozenge from Bush Barrow, Wiltshire ( conserved or restored by the British Museum) are used as examples.