NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Antiquities

No one would ask why chemical research, work in nuclear physics, or biological research is best performed by individuals trained in those specialties. But since archeology is listed as a social science; since it deals with people and the stories it tells are easily learned; and, most of all, since looking for arrowheads and digging for old pottery do not seem to require any special skills, visitors to the Parks will often ask questions about this restriction.

And, the visitor has a point. It does not take any training to dig a hole in the ground, and those holes are often productive of interesting artifacts and bits of loot. But, unfortunately, the digging is only the beginning. When the soil is disturbed, all evidence of what has gone on to place the objects in that soil is destroyed, unless proper records are kept. This is true, regardless of who digs, and it is in the information that is recorded that the difference between the amateur and the professional appears. For the professional archeologist spends from four to ten years studying the history of man on this planet, and learning how to add to our knowledge of the past. It is not enough that the archeologist learn exactly how to record all of the available data so that, if necessary, he can replace every object in its original location, exact even to the soil types and the potsherds found near it. He must be able, on the basis of field experience and academic training, to work with the facts of those surroundings and get the maximum amount of information from the location and the relationships of each piece to others found in association with it.

For the primary purpose of the excavation of an archeological site is not the recovery of objects. In a properly conducted "dig" the artistic value of objects is almost incidental to the purpose of the work. Many of the finest examples of aboriginal work in our museums today are worthless as sources of knowledge, because no one now living knows exactly where they came from, and exactly what the surroundings were. The archeologist cannot afford to be preoccupied with the artistic quality of such pieces. The story they tell of how, when, and where they were made and how they fit into the overall picture of life before Columbus is the important thing.

There are also vast differences in the techniques for recovering the most material from an excavation. The casual collector and the vandal do not care about the proper handling of the priceless charcoal which might give an accurate radiocarbon date. In fact, such persons would not know how to handle the charcoal if they did care about the scientific value of it. Nor do they know how to apply a camel's-hair brush to reveal the traces of the last corn cake baked on a stone griddle in the Southwest. These are not things which have any display value on a mantelpiece at home, and so these individuals cannot be expected to show much interest. But such techniques are parts of the basic training of every archeologist.

This is not to disparage the amateur who has a sincere interest in learning the story of prehistory. Many such persons have contributed greatly to our knowledge, working with State and local archeological societies, under the tutelage of trained people. Many have gone on to become great scientists, and a number of the State groups of amateurs have instituted systems of records which have been invaluable. It is a policy of this Service to cooperate with such groups.

However, the sincere and qualified amateur is, unfortunately, still an exception. He is easily recognized, because he knows the law, and usually strives to obey it. He also keeps records, and is likely to take the lead in turning material over to the Service when he finds it in his travel through the Park. You are not likely to have trouble with the qualified amateur, just as you are not likely to have trouble in such matters with professional archeologists. So, perhaps, it would be best to go on to the matter of just how this affects you as an employee of the National Park Service.