Sixty Years of Archeology in Independence National Historical Park: Learning from the Past, Digging for the Future

Author(s): Jed Levin; Deborah L. Miller; Alexander Keim

Year: 2016

Summary

Beginning in the early 1950’s archeologists began sifting the soil beneath Independence National Historical Park in an effort to help inform and guide the development of a new national park. Over the course of subsequent decades the formative work of Paul Schumacher, Barbara Liggett, and John Cotter, among others, shaped the park’s physical appearance, as well as the interpretive experience, for generations of visitors. In the process, these pioneers and their work played a key role in the birth of urban archeology. This paper will review these groundbreaking efforts, as well as work undertaken since 2000. While these recent projects have drawn heavily on earlier work, current archeological efforts in the park have often been driven by an engaged public and have led the park beyond traditional interpretations toward new, previously untold, stories and themes. 

Cite this Record

Sixty Years of Archeology in Independence National Historical Park: Learning from the Past, Digging for the Future. Jed Levin, Deborah L. Miller, Alexander Keim. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Washington, D.C. 2016 ( tDAR id: 435072)

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 484