Digging the Bureaucracy: Government Compliance Archaeology as Public Archaeology

Summary

This is a poster submission presented at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The Society for American Archaeology Education and Outreach webpage describes Public Archaeology as ..."the various innovative ways we can engage the public in archaeological research, both within archaeology and in terms of public awareness." The NRCS-USDA works with America's farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to conserve soil, water, air and other natural resources through voluntary, science-based conservation projects. These conservation projects are considered federal undertakings that are subject to review under Section 106 of the NHPA. These reviews often times bring the agency's archaeologists in contact with landowners who can be reluctant to report archaeological sites on their property. The NRCS archaeologists find themselves serving to educate the public about archaeology and its importance, even if it may be one landowner at a time. Government archaeology, at least within the NRCS, is synonymous public archaeology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020   •
• 2020 SHA Poster Submissions

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 918