Archeological and Historical Data Recovery Program FY1977 and FY1978

Summary

Archeology, involving those remains usually hidden beneath the earth's surface, is a complex data-gathering science. And because archeological remains are considered a cultural rather than a physical resource, their importance is often misunderstood and underestimated. Archeological remains are actually as much a physical resource as historic buildings and, as such are as vulnerable to destruction from intensive human activity (Figs. 1, 2). Although man has inhabited North America for perhaps 27,000 years, recorded history began only with the arrival of European explorers in the 15th century A.D. Moreover, written histories may be very selective, focusing upon only the most important persons and happenings of the day. Archeological studies offer a candid, supplemental or alternative glimpse of the daily lives of people who left few, if any, written records. The remains of campsites and settlements form a revealing archeological record of the way people lived, how they adapted to their environment, and the kinds of things they valued.

By studying earlier cultures, we may come to learn more about ourselves as human beings, set within the broadest possible context (Figs. 3, 4, 5). For example, through archeology we learn of the coincidence of locations chosen by prehistoric man for activities vital to life. The same factors that caused early man to select a campsite-proximity to water, accessibility, transportation, trade, topographic features seems to have appealed to his successors. Thus, we discover that many modern roads are built over prehistoric trails; even some modern cemeteries are located above ancient graveyards.

Archeology also provides a useful time scale for the study of our own environment. There is evidence that the clearing of trees and vegetation from watersheds has led to the cutting of deep arroyos, such as Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. When the shallow streams no longer flooded and naturally fertilized the land and the water table was lowered, this once habitable area deteriorated into a wasteland that is still desolate some 500 years later.

In summary, archeological sites are a vital part of our cultural heritage which, when destroyed, irreversibly diminish our knowledge of the past. That is why the emphasis today is on the preservation and selective investigation of sites rather than on total excavation. One archeologist has likened the digging of a site to reading George Washington's letters in the National Archives, taking notes, then burning the letters. Protected from human destruction, archeological data may be studied and interpreted with fresh insights and the most up-to-date information and technology available.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Federal Archaeology Program

Keywords

Temporal Coverage

Calendar Date: 1977 to 1978

File Information