"Digging for the Truth" and companion volumes

Interpretive painting of Plains Woodland (ca. A.D. 600) component at FamCamp
Archeological Site. F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, Archeology Center.
Painting by Martin Pate

"Presenting Archaeology to the Public: Digging for Truths (Readings in the Public Interpretation of Archeological Sites", is a draft manuscript consisting of approximately twenty articles on the general topic of archeological public interpretation. The articles are written by individuals who share the conviction that public programs should be designed to foster an exchange of ideas between archeologists and other professionals in interpretation, education, and other sciences, with a common goal of achieving a more holistic approach to public interpretation. A companion volume, containing 10-15 articles with similar topical focus, will be published separetely by NPS.

PUBLICATION: SEAC is currently negotiating with potential publishers; we are striving for a publication date of the Digging for the Truth volume in late 1996. The companion volume is planned for publication by NPS in late 1996 or 1997.

Brief Introduction:

Digging for the Truth is part of the Public Interpretation Initiative, a public outreach program introduced and coordinated by SEAC. A major premise of this program is that our responsibilities as archaeologists and historians must encompass reaching out to the public, providing them the opportunity and tools to learn about archaeology, and opening the doors for their involvement. We can make the past more accessible by empowering the public to participate in the critical evaluations of our archaeological interpretations and by helping them understand how and why the past is relevant to the present. In so doing, we are building a foundation of awareness and cultivating an appreciation of our nation's cultural heritage that will serve us all for generations to come.

How we involve the public in the rich fabric of the American experience is one of our great challenges as we enter the twenty-first century. With the cooperation of federal, state, and local organizations, we are continually striving to improve the quantity and quality of archaeological site information available to the public. However, to best accomplish this, we must first educate ourselves.

While many innovative interpretive programs have been created, little has been written about them. Furthermore, unique problems arise when technical information is popularized. Our contributing authors address these issues, present case studies, and suggest solutions. We believe their shared experiences will help stimulate discussion and inspire dynamic, future programs in the public interpretation of archaeology.

Contents:

• FOREWARD
  John H. Jameson, Jr.
  
  
• INTRODUCTION
  John E. Ehrenhard — John H. Jameson, Jr.
  
  
• PART 1 — CONCEPTS AND STRATEGIES
  • Presenting the Past: A Framework for Discussion
    Peter G. Stone
  • Public Interpretation of Archaeology Through Hands-On Experience
    Alicia Hughes-Jones
  • The Archaeological Site as an Interpretive Environment
    Parker B. Potter, Jr.
  • A Strategy for Developing Successful Public Education and Interpretation Programs
    Diane E. Gelburd
  • Public Archaeology, Private Funds: Conflicts and Resolutions
    David T. Hughes
  • Marketing, Kids, and Other Alien Concepts: Bringing Archaeology to the Public
    Michael Trinkley
  • What Makes a Successful Public Interpretation Program?
    Diane E. Gelburd
  • Meditations on the Messenger, Reflections on the Message
    Parker B. Potter, Jr.
  • Roadside Attraction or Science Schoolroom? Finding a Middle Road in Public Interpretation at Archaeological Parks
    Mary L. Kwas
  • "Why" Marks the Spot: Locating Truth on Archaeological Sites
    Parker B. Potter, Jr. — Nancy Jo Chabot
  • The Case for Generalized Versus Literal Archaeological Interpretation
    Stanley South

• PART 2 — PROGRAMS
  • Crow Canyon Archaeological Center: Keys to Success — Integrate the Public into Research
    Margaret A. Heath
  • The Role of Public Participation in Protecting, Promoting, and Interpreting Cultural Resources
    Teresa L. Hoffman
  • Beyond Show and Tell: Active Public Interpretation of Archeology
    Jordan E. Kerber
  • Searching for the Past: Children in Archaeology
    Debi Hacker — Michael Trinkley
  • Give the People What They Want: An Example From Arkansas
    Charles R. Ewen
  • Sites Without Sights: Interpreting Closed Excavations
    Karen Lee Davis
  • In Search of the "Perfect" Worksheet: One Archaeology Program, Eight Activity Sheets Later
    Nancy E. Hayward — Joanna T. Moyar
  • Cultural Awareness in Tomorrow's Adults: The Collecting Strategy at The Children's Museum
    Robert B. Pickering
  • Interpreting and Preserving Rock Shelters for Rock Climbers
    Cece Saunders Kirkorian — Robert Ewing — Betsy Kearns

• PART 3 — APPLICATIONS: URBAN SETTINGS
  • The Past Through Tomorrow: Interpreting Toronto's Heritage to a Multicultural Public
    Karolyn Smardz
  • Ancient and Modern United: Archaeological Exhibits in Urban Plazas
    Sherene Baugher — Diana diZerega Wall
  • The Evolution of Interpretation at the Charleston Place Site
    Nicholas Honerkamp — Martha A. Zierden
  • After the Dust has Settled: The Restoration of an Urban Site
    Kristen L. Stevens
  • Museum in the Making: The Morven Project
    Rebecca Yamin
  • Between a Rock and Industrial Slag: Archeology at Steamtown National Historic Site
    Kristen L. Stevens
  • Stories of the Past: Comparisons from Great Britain
    Deborah Vrabel Osborne
  • Making the Past Public: The Public Archaeology of the French Paleolithic and the Urban U.S.
    J. W. Joseph
  • Bioarcheology in the Public Interest: Contributions of Two Nineteenth-Century Iron-Coffin Burials
    Douglas W. Owsley

• PART 4 — APPLICATIONS: SITES, PARKS, and MUSEUMS
  • Taking Slaves from the Shadows: The Interpretation of Slavery at Mount Vernon, Monticello, and Colonial Williamsburg
    Mark D. Bograd — Theresa A. Singleton
  • Archaeology and Interpretation at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and Poplar Forest
    Barbara J. Heath
  • Education Versus Recreation: Learning About Archaeology Through Educational Programs at Colonial Williamsburg
    Patricia M. Samford
  • Drayton Hall: Finding Voices of the Past
    Meggett B. Lavin
  • The Remains of a Considerable Town: The Challenges of Interpreting a Colonial South Carolina Townsite
    Daniel J. Bell
  • Public Archaeology at Cahokia Mounds
    William R. Iseminger
  • Public Archaeology at the Hatzic Site, British Columbia, Canada
    David Pokotylo — Gregory Brass
  • Putting People Back into the Landscape: Interpreting Cultural Resources at Sabino Canyon, Coronado National Forest, Arizona
    Stephanie M. Whittlesey — Mary Farrell
  • Interpreting Archaeology at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
    Douglas D. Scott
  • Billy the Kid, The Lincoln County War, and Archaeology: The Interpretation of Myth and Fact
    David T. Kirkpatrick
  • Fort Loudoun, Tennessee: Research Archaeology, Interpretive Exhibits, and Reconstruction
    Carl Kuttruff — Joe Distretti