Archeology for Interpreters > 1. Introduction >

Format

We hope you find this guide both informative and fun. It consists of ten sections, including the one you are in right now. Each contains information on a particular set of subject matter, such as the methods and concepts in archeology and sensitivity.

If you know little about archeological resources, we suggest that you complete all sections in the order they are presented.

The time it takes to work through the whole guide depends on how much knowledge you wish to extract. To be thorough, you'll want to read all the text, complete the on-line activities, link to and read the case studies, explore all the links in each section, and read some of the suggested readings.

The highlights of each section are photographs, links to illustrative case studies, additional information sources and/or online activities, and a glossary linked to keywords in the text and marked by underlining the first time they appear in a section. In each section, you are provided with a list of suggested readings. Several sources furnished the photographs and illustrations (see Credits) in order to demonstrate effective archeological resource interpretation experience and expertise at the federal, state, and local levels.

Each section may include Try It Yourself, Case Study, Fun Fact, For Your Information, and Use What You Know boxes that are linked to other web sites.

Activities in Try It Yourself boxes provide you with the opportunity for interactive study of archeological methods such as seriation, artifact analysis and site sampling strategies. While many of these activities are designed for students, you may find the information and interaction they provide valuable in increasing both your own understanding of the concept or method and your ability to explain the concept or method to visitors.
Each Case Study demonstrates some or all of the concepts or methods discussed in that section. Where possible the case study represents archeological work undertaken within a national park.
Fun Facts offer unique insights into archeology.
For Your Information boxes suggest additional resources.
The Highlighted Case Study contains questions to help you USE WHAT YOU KNOW to interpret archeological resources in any situation.
At the end of each chapter there is a Use What You Know box with questions to help assess your knowledge and understanding of the material covered. There is one to get you started at the beginning of the next chapter.

Please note that web addresses are current at the date of guide publication (date appears in parenthesis in each box) but may change beyond the control of the NPS. Also note that the NPS Internet policy does not permit links to commercial web sites (URL that ends in .com). Therefore, this guide only links to web sites of educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, state agencies, and federal agencies. Highly recommended web sites are particularly relevant to issues discussed in the text.

As a final note, the spelling of “archeology” and its derivatives follows the conventions of the federal government. The spelling commonly used in academia and in publications for the public, “archaeology,” is followed when appropriate in quotations and bibliographical citations.

For Your Information

Information Literacy: The Web is not an Encyclopedia
This web site offers tips to critically evaluate information found on the Internet.

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