PREFACE A

Jeremy A. Sabloff

"Words, words, mere words, no matter from the heart."

William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

For years, archaeologists have lamented the looting and destruction of archaeological sites and materials. The efforts of a number of dedicated individuals including both professional and avocational archaeologists, Native Americans, and elected officials, as well as small organizations such as the American Society for Conservation Archaeology, have resulted in some important laws and regulations that help to protect archaeological resources on both the national and local levels. But in spite of all this assiduous work, looting and destruction continue unabated. Clearly, relatively small-scale attempts to change widespread practices, no matter how well intentioned or how skillfully argued, are simply not sufficient to bring these practices to a halt. Isolated victories over the forces of depredation are legion, but, overall, the defenders of the archaeological record appear to be losing the war.

Fortunately, in recent years, archaeologists have come to realize that they must change their tactics if they are to turn the tide in the preservation conflict. Informed by the successes of other preservationists, such as those concerned with the general environment, they have begun to adopt the successful tactics of group efforts and public outreach. Federal archaeologists, state historic preservation officers and state archaeologists, and the Society for American Archaeology - the largest association of professional archaeologists concerned with the archaeology of the Americas - have seen that if they speak in concert within their own spheres and work together more broadly on the preservation of the archaeological record, their chances of success increase.

Moreover, archaeologists have perceived that their undertakings in the realm of new legal means to combat looting will be of no avail without a well-planned campaign of public education. Telling the general populace, on one hand, and legislators, on the other, that ravagement of archaeological sites was bad and should be stopped was not as self-evident to their listeners as it was to them. Rhetoric alone obviously was insufficient. Archaeologists realized that exhortation had to be combined with clear, well-reasoned justifications.

Such a strategic shift, which is still underway, has not been as simple and easy as it would appear it should be. Over the years, archaeologists have become too accustomed to speaking to their colleagues, who do not need to be persuaded about the unfortunate consequences of site destruction. They are not used to regularly dealing with people who disagree with their premises, nor with others who are completely indifferent to the problems discussed and do not see them as moral issues. In addition, many of their colleagues have looked down at attempts to communicate with non-scholarly audiences. However, these problems are not insurmountable and in the past few years have happily begun to recede.

Protecting the Past: Readings in Archaeological Resource Protection is a superb example of the new strategy in outreach and discusses some of the recent successes in concerted action, many of the promising programs to counter looting that are currently being implemented or contemplated, and a few of the most difficult problems that still must be surmounted. I am certain that this highly ambitious book will have a very positive influence in such efforts, and I wish to congratulate and thank the editors and authors for putting together such an exciting, useful volume.

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