Assessing Site Significance: A Guide for Archaeologists and Historians

Of the many properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, only 7% are archaeological sites. With the Register designed to primarily assess the historical significance of standing sites, archaeologists have had difficulty translating eligibility criteria to sites known primarily from archaeological work. Hardesty and Little provide practical guidance for archaeologists and others on how to examine these properties for their historical significance, both for academic reasons and for proposal to the Register. The general process of filing for NRHP eligibility is described and specific archaeological issues of site integrity, archaeological evidence, and traditional cultural properties addressed. Examples are provided throughout of sites as diverse as historic trails, farmsteads, factories, households, military camps, and trash heaps. This useful guide will be helpful for anyone working in a cultural resources management context with recent archaeological sites. Sponsored by the Heritage Resources Management Program, University of Nevada, Reno Visit the author's web page

Donald R. Hardesty is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Reno. Barbara J. Little is a program officer for the National Register of Historic Places of the National Park Service.