America's Hidden Battlefields Protecting the Archeological Story
What you can do
You can help safeguard American’s historic battlefields by working in partnership with professional archeologists, park managers, local historical and preservation groups, and state historic preservation officers. When visiting a historic battlefield, you can contribute significantly to its preservation if you remember to:
Follow marked paths and avoid walking on marked archeological sites or on earthworks or other above- ground features such as walls and ruins.
Leave in place any object you see on the ground and do not dig on the battlefield.
Report archeological materials you see on the ground, evidence of site vandalism, and any suspicious activity to the park manager or your state historic preservation office.
You also help protect and preserve America’s historic battlefields when you:
Join a battlefield friends group or a local archeological society.
Contribute financial support to battlefield parks and preservation organizations.
Educate your local and state-elected officials about the need to protect and study battlefields.
Volunteer to help an archeologist conduct surveys, record sites, and keep watch on sites.
Do not support treasure hunters and collectors by purchasing illegally taken artifacts.
Soldiers in Winter camp at Brandy Station, Virginia, in February 1864.
These battlefields are real. They, and only they, can provide the answers to many of the questions about America’s military past. It is important for us to take care in our own actions and encourage others to join us in safeguarding the physical evidence of battle, both above ground and below ground.
We must respect these sites for all they can teach and for all they represent.
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