diff --git a/include/osgDB/Archive b/include/osgDB/Archive
index 4757c6450..a6fb864ae 100644
--- a/include/osgDB/Archive
+++ b/include/osgDB/Archive
@@ -64,16 +64,6 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT Archive : public ReaderWriter
         virtual WriteResult writeImage(const osg::Image& image,const std::string& fileName,const Options* options=NULL);
         virtual WriteResult writeHeightField(const osg::HeightField& heightField,const std::string& fileName,const Options* options=NULL);
         virtual WriteResult writeNode(const osg::Node& node,const std::string& fileName,const Options* options=NULL);
-
-        virtual ReadResult readObject(std::istream& fin,const Options* options=NULL);
-        virtual ReadResult readImage(std::istream& fin,const Options* options=NULL);
-        virtual ReadResult readHeightField(std::istream& fin,const Options* options=NULL);
-        virtual ReadResult readNode(std::istream& fin,const Options* options=NULL);
-
-        virtual WriteResult writeObject(const osg::Object& obj,std::ostream& fout,const Options* options=NULL);
-        virtual WriteResult writeImage(const osg::Image& image,std::ostream& fout,const Options* options=NULL);
-        virtual WriteResult writeHeightField(const osg::HeightField& heightField,std::ostream& fout,const Options* options=NULL);
-        virtual WriteResult writeNode(const osg::Node& node,std::ostream& fout,const Options* options=NULL);
         
     protected:
     
diff --git a/src/osgDB/Archive.cpp b/src/osgDB/Archive.cpp
index 3bb26564a..fa6caf36c 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/Archive.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/Archive.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@
  * OpenSceneGraph Public License for more details.
 */
 
+#include <osg/Notify>
+
+#include <osgDB/Registry>
+#include <osgDB/FileNameUtils>
 #include <osgDB/Archive>
 
 using namespace osgDB;
@@ -26,17 +30,21 @@ Archive::~Archive()
 
 void Archive::create(const std::string& filename, unsigned int indexBlockSize)
 {
+    _status = WRITE;
+    _output.open(filename.c_str());
 }
 
 void Archive::open(const std::string& filename, Status status)
 {
     if (status==READ)
     {
+        _status = status;
         _input.open(filename.c_str());
     }
     else // status==WRITE
     {
-        _input.open(filename.c_str());
+        _status = status;
+        _output.open(filename.c_str());
     }
 }
 
@@ -52,22 +60,87 @@ bool Archive::fileExists(const std::string& filename) const
     return (_indexMap.count(filename)!=0);
 }
 
-ReaderWriter::ReadResult Archive::readObject(const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options*) { return ReadResult(ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
+ReaderWriter::ReadResult Archive::readObject(const std::string& fileName,const Options* options)
+{
+    if (_status!=READ) 
+    {
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::readObject(obj, "<<fileName<<") failed, archive opened as read only."<<std::endl;
+        return ReadResult(ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED);
+    }
+    
+    FileNamePositionMap::const_iterator itr = _indexMap.find(fileName);
+    if (itr==_indexMap.end())
+    {
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::readObject(obj, "<<fileName<<") failed, file not found in archive"<<std::endl;
+        return ReadResult(ReadResult::FILE_NOT_FOUND);
+    }
+
+    ReaderWriter* rw = osgDB::Registry::instance()->getReaderWriterForExtension(getLowerCaseFileExtension(fileName));
+    if (!rw)
+    {
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::readObject(obj, "<<fileName<<") failed to find appropriate plugin to write file."<<std::endl;
+        return ReadResult(ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED);
+    }
+    
+    osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::readObject(obj, "<<fileName<<")"<<std::endl;
+    return rw->readObject(_input, options);
+}
+
 ReaderWriter::ReadResult Archive::readImage(const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options*) { return ReadResult(ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
 ReaderWriter::ReadResult Archive::readHeightField(const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options*) { return ReadResult(ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
 ReaderWriter::ReadResult Archive::readNode(const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options*) { return ReadResult(ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
 
-ReaderWriter::WriteResult Archive::writeObject(const osg::Object& /*obj*/,const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options*) {return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
-ReaderWriter::WriteResult Archive::writeImage(const osg::Image& /*image*/,const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options*) {return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
-ReaderWriter::WriteResult Archive::writeHeightField(const osg::HeightField& /*heightField*/,const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options*) {return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
-ReaderWriter::WriteResult Archive::writeNode(const osg::Node& /*node*/,const std::string& /*fileName*/,const Options*) { return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
 
-ReaderWriter::ReadResult Archive::readObject(std::istream& /*fin*/,const Options*) { return ReadResult(ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
-ReaderWriter::ReadResult Archive::readImage(std::istream& /*fin*/,const Options*) { return ReadResult(ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
-ReaderWriter::ReadResult Archive::readHeightField(std::istream& /*fin*/,const Options*) { return ReadResult(ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
-ReaderWriter::ReadResult Archive::readNode(std::istream& /*fin*/,const Options*) { return ReadResult(ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
 
-ReaderWriter::WriteResult Archive::writeObject(const osg::Object& /*obj*/,std::ostream& /*fout*/,const Options*) {return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
-ReaderWriter::WriteResult Archive::writeImage(const osg::Image& /*image*/,std::ostream& /*fout*/,const Options*) {return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
-ReaderWriter::WriteResult Archive::writeHeightField(const osg::HeightField& /*heightField*/,std::ostream& /*fout*/,const Options*) {return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
-ReaderWriter::WriteResult Archive::writeNode(const osg::Node& /*node*/,std::ostream& /*fout*/,const Options*) { return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED); }
+
+ReaderWriter::WriteResult Archive::writeObject(const osg::Object& obj,const std::string& fileName,const Options* options)
+{
+    if (_status!=WRITE) 
+    {
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::writeObject(obj, "<<fileName<<") failed, archive opened as read only."<<std::endl;
+        return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED);
+    }
+
+    ReaderWriter* rw = osgDB::Registry::instance()->getReaderWriterForExtension(getLowerCaseFileExtension(fileName));
+    if (!rw)
+    {
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::writeObject(obj, "<<fileName<<") failed to find appropriate plugin to write file."<<std::endl;
+        return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED);
+    }
+    
+    osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::writeObject(obj, "<<fileName<<")"<<std::endl;
+    return rw->writeObject(obj, _output, options);
+}
+
+ReaderWriter::WriteResult Archive::writeImage(const osg::Image& /*image*/,const std::string& fileName,const Options* options)
+{
+    if (_status==READ) 
+    {
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::writeImage(obj, "<<fileName<<") failed, archive opened as read only."<<std::endl;
+        return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED);
+    }
+    osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::writeImage(obj, "<<fileName<<")"<<std::endl;
+    return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED);
+}
+
+ReaderWriter::WriteResult Archive::writeHeightField(const osg::HeightField& /*heightField*/,const std::string& fileName,const Options* options)
+{
+    if (_status!=WRITE) 
+    {
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::writeHeightField(obj, "<<fileName<<") failed, archive opened as read only."<<std::endl;
+        return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED);
+    }
+    osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::writeHeightField(obj, "<<fileName<<")"<<std::endl;
+    return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED);
+}
+
+ReaderWriter::WriteResult Archive::writeNode(const osg::Node& /*node*/,const std::string& fileName,const Options* options)
+{
+    if (_status!=WRITE) 
+    {
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::writeNode(obj, "<<fileName<<") failed, archive opened as read only."<<std::endl;
+        return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED);
+    }
+    osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Archive::writeNode(obj, "<<fileName<<")"<<std::endl;
+    return WriteResult(WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED);
+}