Archeological significance refers to the ability of a site or district (group of sites) to convey important information about the human past. Significance may also reflect the importance of a place to an indigenous or descendent community. Significance evaluations of archeological resources are incorporated into preservation planning, the stewardship and management of public lands, and the federal agency decision making process.
When evaluating a site’s significance for the National Register, archeologists rely on a range of information, such as the physical integrity (condition) of the site; the presence of intact features and diagnostic materials; and an understanding of post-depositional events that, collectively, constitute the site or district’s ability to answer important research questions. The evaluation of archeological significance and integrity frequently involves excavation. Assessment also incorporates information from previous survey and analyses, a host of non-invasive strategies, documentary research, oral histories, and ethnographic information, as well as comparative analyses.
While archeological sites and districts are most commonly deemed eligible for the National Register on the basis of their information or research potential (Criteria D), when placed in their larger historic and scholarly contexts they may also be significant because of their association with important events in the past, with the lives of important people, or because they are examples of engineering or other types of construction that are significant to our shared humanity. Federal law, regulation, and policy establish both the criteria and processes by which to evaluate the significance and integrity of archeological resources for the National Register.
National Register criteria are not the only ways to identify important archeological resources. Sites may be important for their aggregate research potential, or for association with current activities carried out by descendent communities. Threats to archeological sites from climate change may necessitate a different rubric for prioritizing preservation activities. Cultural resource managers take these factors into account in preservation planning.
National Register and National Historic Landmarks Programs
The National Register and National Historic Landmarks programs are administered by the National Park Service. These programs house documentation resulting from the evaluation of archeological significance. This work is produced from the combined efforts of Federal, state, and tribal partners as well as the many consultants performing the work and community experts assisting in documenting their histories.
National Register of Historic Places
- National Register of Historic Places
- How to Apply the National Register Criteria
- National Register Bulletin 36: Guidelines for Registering and Evaluating Archeological Properties
National Historic Landmarks
Last updated: March 24, 2023