This paper introduces three recent mass spectrometric methods that can aid the field of conservation. Amino acid racemization and protein deamidation using CE-MS in conjunction with proteomics are new techniques for dating and authenticating old or new protein fibers that cannot otherwise be matched to a specific date by more common analytical techniques such as C-14 dating or dye analysis. These techniques are useful when extant archaeological fibers, often protein, have degraded or damaged scale patterns that prevent conclusive identification by polarized light microscopy. The second method identifies species by peptide mass finger printing using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization in conjunction with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. This technique allows for rapid identification of the animal species whose fibers were used in the construction of textile and ethnographic objects. The final method, stable isotope mass spectrometry, can identify ecological characteristics about the animal from which a natural fiber originated, thus providing clues about the interaction of humans with their environment. These three methods are especially viable for textile and costume analysis because they require only milligrams (0.001 grams) or sub-milligrams (<0.001 grams) samples to provide precise and accurate information about the proteinaceous specimens.