ST. LEONARD, Md. — After more than two years of construction, the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab) is preparing to reopen, marking a major milestone for the state’s archaeological preservation efforts.
While final construction work continues in parts of the larger facility, staff have begun using the lab’s newly completed Isolation Room — a key space designed to process incoming collections before they are placed into long-term curation storage.
The Isolation Room allows staff to clean, assess and prepare artifacts, ensuring they are properly stabilized and documented before being added to the lab’s extensive archives.
The MAC Lab is also anticipating the arrival of a significant new collection from Annapolis: the Jonas and Anne Catharine Green Print Shop collection, an important site dating back to the Revolutionary War era.
Funding for work on the collection was provided by the Maryland Two Fifty Commission. Lab officials say the project will play a key role in preserving and studying materials tied to Maryland’s early history.
Additional updates are expected as work on the collection begins and the lab moves closer to fully reopening.