Protecting Cultural Landscapes, Famous and Not, as the Threats Increase

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Transcending Modern Boundaries: Recent Investigations of Cultural Landscapes in Southeastern Utah" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Far beyond the "Instagram ready" cliff dwellings of Bears Ears, southeastern Utah holds cultural landscapes of immense value for Native American tribes, scientific study, and heritage tourism. The sheer number of archaeological sites, combined with an incredible degree of preservation, makes this one of the most important archaeological areas on earth. At risk from over-visitation, energy development, looting and vandalism, irresponsible motorists, and other threats, these understudied and often unrecorded sites present a major challenge for conservationists and land managers. The "cowboys versus Indians" dynamic and political battles certainly don't help. This paper discusses what two non-profit organizations - Archaeology Southwest and Friends of Cedar Mesa - are learning as they work to protect cultural resources, advocate with land managers, educate the public, and engage the scientific community.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Transcending Modern Boundaries: Recent Investigations of Cultural Landscapes in Southeastern Utah   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23254