More than Three Decades of Municipal Archaeology in New York City

Summary

For many cities in the United States urban archaeology is undertaken because of federal government mandates. Since 1978, New York City has also had local municipal mandates requiring archaeology on specific development projects. The staffs of the Department of City Planning and the Landmarks Preservation Commission have overseen the protection of the city’’s archaeological resources. Many high profile excavations have taken place from early Dutch sites to sunken ships. Over the last three decades the implementation of the policies have changed. Early innovative programs for public outreach involving tours, exhibits, heritage tourism, public participation on excavations on city-owned property have been eliminated as the economic climate has changed. Over time developers challenged the process. Implementations were improved. Today, municipal laws regarding archaeology on projects requiring discretionary permits are still intact.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Municipal Archaeology: Linking Archaeology, Urban Planning and Heritage   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-10,07