Community Archaeology at the Trowel’s Edge

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Touching the Past: Public Archaeology Engagement through Existing Collections" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Public Archaeology Facility's Community Archaeology Program (CAP) provides non-archaeologists with an opportunity to participate in archaeological field research projects. CAP participants experience the discovery of artifacts at the "trowel's edge" and follow the journey of an item through processing to interpretation of the people connected to these discoveries. Our goal is to educate individuals about the presence of a rich and fascinating past in their own communities and buried under their feet. Joining professionally supervised projects, even for a week, provides participants with the thrill of discovering objects used by everyday people hundreds and thousands of years ago. Making a connection to people through artifacts builds a deeper understanding of the past, but also an empathy for preservation through both local and national advocacy. CAP offers programs custom designed for the interests and abilities of adults, teens, and children. CAP operates under that principles that the heritage story embedded in an artifact is worthy of our respect and protection, and that an educated and engaged public is more likely to support the preservation of this heritage. This paper will illustrate the principles on which CAP is based with discussion of the successes and challenges of this program.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Touching the Past: Public Archaeology Engagement through Existing Collections   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23401