History of the Departmental Consulting Archeologist

After the Department of the Interior was created in 1849, it became involved in archeological activities on lands in its care, especially in the American West. A number of events culminated into the establishment of an archeologist at the Departmental level to advise the Secretary of the Interior on archeological matters. Among them were the growing concern for looting and vandalism on federal lands that led to passage of An Act for the Preservation of American Antiquities (1906); the establishment of land reservations, national parks, and national monuments to preserve archeological resources; a need to coordinate permitting by museums and other institutions; and interest from Congress on the impact of these activities.

In 1927, the Department of the Interior issued Order No. 229 to designate Jesse L. Nusbaum, Archeologist of the National Park Service and Superintendent of Mesa Verde National Park to be the first “Archaeologist for the Department of the Interior." The order directed that “…bureaus handling archaeological matters will refer them to Mr. Nusbaum for his recommendation.” Two years later, Department Order No. 393 emphasized the oversight responsibility of Nusbaum’s position, specifying that “all requests for permission to explore prehistoric ruins on the public domain, in the national parks, and on Indian reservations, are…referred to him [Nusbaum]…no permission will be given for any scientific or other party to carry on investigations or remove prehistoric relics without the consent of the Secretary…” As such, Nusbaum focused on the implementation of the archeological permitting procedures required by the Antiquities Act of 1906. He both reviewed applications for Antiquities Act permits received by the Department of the Interior and spent considerable time during field seasons visiting excavations and checking on the investigations conducted under permits.

As Departmental Archeologist, Nusbaum wrote four annual reports that covered covering his activities and recommendations in the years 1929, 1930, 1931 and 1932. The last report was drafted but not printed, but it is in the department’s official files. Nusbaum also spent time advocating for better protection of archeological sites on DOI lands; preventing unlawful excavation and gathering of objects of antiquity on federal and tribal lands; and, encouraging the publication of the archeological results of studies conducted under Antiquities Act permits by scientific and educational institutions. The title used today of "Departmental Consulting Archeologist" (DCA) was established in 1931, to reflect shifts in Nusbaum's role. Nusbaum continued as DCA until he retired in 1957.

Today, the Secretary of the Interior continues to delegate DCA responsibilities to the Chief Archeologist of the National Park Service. These responsibilities have included assisting in the development of a Federal Archeology Program, which includes all land-managing agencies across the federal government and hundreds of archeologists in national forests, parks, districts, agencies, and other offices throughout the country. The DCA has spearheaded data collection on archeological activities in park for the Secretary's Report to Congress, led workgroups on salient matters such as permits and collecting, and provided overall coordination and direction for the Federal Archeology Program.