NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Antiquities

Since there are several of these, perhaps it is best to discuss them individually.

1. Know your Park. The Park Naturalist should be able to help you learn the surface signs of the archeological sites through the section of the Country where you are, and, when one of the archeologists of the Service visits the area, he will be glad to assist you in learning the basic indications of use of the land in prehistoric times.

Remember that it is possible that your Park or Monument has extensive archeological remains, even though it may have been set aside primarily for other reasons. Yosemite, for instance, has more than 500 sites of prehistoric occupation and Grand Canyon more than 500. Even the very small amount of work performed in Yellowstone and Everglades has produced evidence of a considerable use of the areas in pre-Columbian times. Incidentally, you might also want to remember that the population of what is now the continental United States at the time Columbus landed has been estimated as high as 11 million people, although a more realistic estimate would be from 2 to 5 million. Man had been in the New World for at least 20,000 years, and perhaps considerably longer. So it is not surprising to find evidence of Indian occupancy in every corner of the Country. Your responsibility is as great for a small campsite marked only by a few flint flakes or grinding stones as it is for any of the spectacular ruins of the Southwest or the Southeast.

Should you locate sites during the performance of routine jobs, it will help everyone if you mention it to the Park Naturalist or the Superintendent, and make a record of the appearance, location, and date of your visit. This also helps you to:

2. Watch for violations of the Antiquities Act. If you know the archeological sites, it is easy to watch for signs of disturbance and take appropriate action. Any sign of digging should be reported immediately to the Superintendent or to your immediate superior. Your Law Enforcement Manual will tell you how to gather evidence and how to proceed in handling violators who are apprehended in the act of vandalizing sites. If there is any doubt in your mind, discuss it with the Chief Ranger. You might discuss it with him anyhow—since law enforcement is one of his responsibilities.

3. You may observe or hear of violations of the act on lands outside of the jurisdiction of the Service. Any such violation should be reported immediately to the Superintendent, who is required to notify the Federal Bureau of Investigation or any other Federal agency involved. He may also be in a position to take immediate action in apprehending the violators but, since he is the senior representative of the Service involved, he should make the decision.

4. In the performance of your routine duties or on your off-duty time, you may find arrowheads, worked stone of various forms, or pieces of pottery. These should be left in place and the attention of the Superintendent and the Park Naturalist called to them. The Antiquities Act applies to these surface findings as well as to other material. As an employee of the Service, you are expected to adhere to the regulations as closely as any visitor. The Superintendent who finds that an employee has obtained material of this sort within the Park and has not turned it in to the proper authority is authorized to take any action necessary in punishing such violations.

5. In addition to these responsibilities, the Superintendent is responsible for the protection of archeological remains which might be damaged in the process of construction activities. When planning is begun on development, the Superintendent must take into consideration the possibility of disturbing remains in the Park and should plan his development to avoid such disturbance. If it is inevitable that ruins be disturbed, plans should include the cost of archeological salvage work necessary. When a hitherto unknown site is located in the process of construction, the Superintendent should call on the archeological staff member nearest his Park and do his best to obtain adequate records without unduly slowing the contractor. Any information you may have, or may be able to obtain, may be of assistance to the Service in these cases.