Approaches to the curation of archaeological materials and records have largely been inconsistent and, in many cases, inadequate. The extent of curatorial efforts too often has been the simple storage of materials in basements and corners. As federal data recovery programs escalated and coilections research was complicated by the sheer volume of materials, as well as by the usual condition of storage, it became increasingly apparent that curation must be mandated and curatorial standards developed. This work traces the development status of efforts to develop curatorial standards. -- AATA