Archaeology Cultural Resource Management

Stressing the interdisciplinary, public-policy oriented character of Cultural Resource Management (CRM), which is not merely “applied archaeology,” this short, relatively uncomplicated introduction is aimed at emerging archaeologists. Drawing on fifty-plus years’ experience, and augmented by the advice of fourteen collaborators, Cultural Resource Management explains what “CRM archaeologists” do, and explores the public policy, ethical, and pragmatic implications of doing it for a living.

A Companion to Cultural Resource Management is an essential guide to those wishing to gain a deeper understanding of CRM and heritage management. Expert contributors share their knowledge and illustrate CRM's practice and scope, as well as the core issues and realities in preserving cultural heritages worldwide. Edited by one of the world's leading experts in the field of cultural resource management, with contributions by a wide range of experts, including archaeologists, architectural historians, museum curators, historians, and representatives of affected groups Offers a broad view of cultural resource management that includes archaeological sites, cultural landscapes, historic structures, shipwrecks, scientific and technological sites and objects, as well as intangible resources such as language, religion, and cultural values Highlights the realities that face CRM practitioners "on the ground"

By most estimates, as much as 90 percent of the archaeology done in the United States today is carried out in the field of cultural resource management. The contributors hope that this book will serve as an impetus in American archaeology for dialogue and debate on how to make CRM projects and programs yield both better archaeology and better public policy.

This innovative collection of essays from an international range of contributors describes various means of preserving, protecting and presenting vital cultural resources within the context of economic development, competing claims of "ownership" of particular cultural resources, modern uses of structures and space, and other aspects of late twentieth-century life.

What is archaeology, and why should we do it? Tom King, arguably the best-known heritage management consultant in the United States, answers the basic question of every introductory student from the unique perspective of one who actively uses archaeology for cultural resource management. Designed as a supplement for introduction to archaeology classes, this brief and breezy book runs the reader through the major principles of archaeology, using examples from the author’s own field work and that of others. King shows how contemporary archaeology, as part of the larger cultural resource management endeavor, acts to help preserve and protect prehistoric and historic sites in the United States and elsewhere. Brief biographies of other CRM archaeologists help students envision career paths they might emulate. The bookends with an exploration of some of the thorny problems facing the contemporary archaeologist to help foster class discussion. An ideal ice-breaker for introductory college classes in archaeology, one that will get students engaged in the subject and thinking about its challenges.

The relative youth of the profession has meant that most of the consulting professionals carrying out CRM work in New Zealand have learnt the requirements of the job while working and with little available formal training. Furthermore, the statutory and legal requirements relating to archaeological sites around the country have changed significantly during the past 25 years. This has escalated in recent years with rapid land development across the country and resulted in an increasing number of archaeologists working as consultants. The legal demands of the work have also increased, resulting in a need for improvements in the quality of the assessments and new methodologies for evaluating archaeological sites and undertaking investigations. The archaeologists have responded to these demands in a variety of ways, but there has been little opportunity to look at how to be a professional archaeologist in this new environment. "This document is designed to be a guide to the complex inner workings of CRM archaeology in New Zealand. I have not attempted to duplicate all the specifics of most of the relevant material such as the legislation, planning documents, legal, contractual or academic papers that form part of the corpus of recommended reading for practitioners. That material is easily available and referenced throughout. Much of the information should be obvious to professional archaeologists in current practice and hopefully common sense to most readers. However, the purpose of this book is to establish a baseline for improvements in method, safety, and professional development tor CRM archaeologists working in New Zealand." The material presented here is not meant to serve as a template for specific projects. Cultural heritage has become a resource - created, ignored, destroyed, managed, enhanced, and understood. It is hoped that the document provides a baseline for understanding the role of archaeology in 21st century New Zealand, and how archaeologists can and should function within statutory frameworks designed to manage our heritage as an "environmental resource.'"The Author"Simon Bickler is an archaeological consultant in Auckland, New Zealand. He earned a BSc in Mathematics, an MPhil (Hons) from the University of Auckland, and an MA and PhD in Anthropology from the University of Virginia. He has done archaeological surveying and excavation in Italy, Turkey, the USA and the Pacific. Simon has been directing and working on a wide variety of New Zealand CRM projects since 2002 and has previously served as President of the New Zealand Archaeological Association. He publishes on a range of topics including the archaeology of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, radiocarbon dating, computer simulation, machine learning and other data analytic approaches to archaeological issues."

Archaeological Resource Management provides an international comparison of the main practices involved in managing archaeological remains, especially their identification and recording, their evaluation for 'significance,' their preservation and their presentation to the public.

Cultural resource management (CRM) involves research, legislation, and education related to the conservation, protection, and interpretation of historic and prehistoric archaeological resources. Kerber's work is divided into four major categories of discussion: theoretical and interpretive frameworks, research methodology, legislation and compliance, and creative protection strategies. The only volume on CRM in Northeastern America since Spiess's Conservation Archaeology in 1978, its contributors are all major participants in archaeology in the Northeast, which includes the six New England states and New York. Because the volume presents successful models and practical advice concerning CRM, it is relevant to regions other than the Northeast and can be helpful in providing a comparative framework for evaluating programs elsewhere in the United States.