01/22/96 C0ME HOME, LITTLE ARROWHEAD

C0ME HOME, LITTLE ARROWHEAD

BECAUSE OF GRAVE ROBBERS and scavengers at construction sites, some 3,000 museums house Native American artifacts: Many end up far from their origin. But under the Native American Graves Protection & Repatriation Act, signed in 1990, tribes have the right to reclaim their relics. And they're getting help from digital-imaging technology.
Under a five-year, $10 million contract, TASC Inc. in Dayton is helping the Army Corps of Engineers build an electronic catalog with pictures and descriptions of bones, pottery fragments, and other objects. Combined with data from field expeditions, the catalog will help archaeologists and tribal representatives identify each item and its rightful owner. Experts will be able to search for specific artifacts or entire classes of items. Plus, the catalog may be shared electronically across the country.
EDITED BY WILLIAM J. WINKLER