Do's and Don'ts of Backyard Archaeology
Imagine that you are a detective at the scene of a crime. What you find is confusion. Evidence has been moved, stepped on, broken. You even suspect that someone took crucial items as souvenirs! This would make your job much more difficult, right? It might even make it impossible to solve the case.
We study clues left by people long ago and learn a lot about them: their culture, their environment, where they came from, and where they went. Anything made or modified by people is an artifact. Items like stone tools, baskets, shell beads, and bullets from the Civil War are all artifacts. As such, they are part of the archaeological record. These clues add to the great puzzle of history--our history.
Archaeological sites are important to our cultural heritage. Laws protect them against damage by neglect, vandalism, and looters. (Looters take artifacts to keep or sell.) Laws also help preserve sites on public land. This is true except in cases where human bones are found. Special laws regulate what can be done with human remains.
What if you find an artifact—maybe an arrowhead, a piece of pottery, or an old cowboy spur—in your backyard? Write down anything you notice. Is it on the surface or was it buried? Is the ground disturbed by construction or digging? Are there other artifacts nearby? Take pictures. Every detail can help explain the artifact and maybe even reveal who left it behind.
What is the 1ocal Native American tribe? Was there an old colonial or western town nearby? Were battles fought in your area in the Revolution or the Civil War?
Then contact your state's historic preservation officer or an archaeologist at a nearby college or university. These experts can help explain what you found.
A. If possible, leave it in place.
B. Archaeologists are like detectives.
C. So keep these Do's and Don'ts in mind!
D. Also investigate the history of where you live.
E. Preserve the artifact you find in your backyard.
F. It just might be a missing piece in history's grand puzzle!
G. But private landowners have the rights to their own property.
