Archeological Stewardship and Science in the National Park Service

In fulfilling its near century-old mission, the National Park Service (NPS) preserves, protects, and interprets archeological sites of breathtaking diversity throughout the United States. These range in scale and type from Paleo-Indian quarries to historic plantations and homesteads to submerged aircraft. NPS archeological programs are implementing education and civic engagement projects for diverse audiences across the country. At the same time, they are responding to new fiscal realities and significant challenges including climate change, increased looting and vandalism of sites, and energy development. This session demonstrates the depth and diversity of recent NPS archeological practice by presenting a sample of park-based recent research, outreach and planning by the agency's archeologists.