The Antiquities Act: A Century of American Archaeology, Historic Preservation, and Nature Conservation

by David Harmon (Editor), Francis P. McManamon (Editor), Dwight T. Pitcaithley (Editor)

Overview

Winner of the State of New Mexico’s Heritage Preservation Award in the category of Heritage Publication

Enacted in 1906, the Antiquities Act is one of the most important pieces of conservation legislation in American history and has had a far-reaching influence on the preservation of our nation’s cultural and natural heritage. Thanks to the foresight of thirteen presidents, parks as diverse as Acadia, Grand Canyon, and Olympic National Park, along with historic and archaeological sites such as Thomas Edison’s Laboratory and the Gila Cliff Dwellings, have been preserved for posterity.

A century after its passage, this book presents a definitive assessment of the Antiquities Act and its legacy, addressing the importance and breadth of the act—as well as the controversy it has engendered. Authored by professionals intimately involved with safeguarding the nation’s archaeological, historic, and natural heritage, it describes the applications of the act and assesses its place in our country’s future. With a scope as far-reaching as the resources the act embraces, this book offers an unparalleled opportunity for today’s stewards to reflect on the act’s historic accomplishments, to remind fellow professionals and the general public of its continuing importance, and to look ahead to its continuing implementation in the twenty-first century.

The Antiquities Act invites all who love America’s natural and cultural treasures not only to learn about the act’s rich legacy but also to envision its next hundred years.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780816544141
Publisher:	University of Arizona Press
Publication date:	04/20/2006
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

David Harmon is executive director of the George Wright Society. Headquartered in Hancock, Michigan, it works to protect cultural and natural parks and reserves. He is the author of In Light of Our Differences: How Diversity in Nature and Culture Makes Us Human. Francis P. McManamon is chief archaeologist of the National Park Service and co-editor of the volume Cultural Resource Management in Contemporary Society: Perspectives on Managing and Presenting the Past. He lives in Washington, DC. Dwight T. Pitcaithley is former chief historian of the National Park Service and currently teaches at New Mexico State University

Table of Contents

Contents Acknowledgments x xii Introduction: The Importance of the Antiquities Act David Harmon, Francis P. McManamon, and Dwight T. Pitcaithley 1 Part 1 The Origins and Architects of the Act 1 The Origins of the Antiquities Act Ronald F. Lee 17 2 Edgar Lee Hewett and the Politics of Archaeology Raymond Harris Thompson 41 3 John F. Lacey: Conservation's Public Servant Rebecca Conard 56 4 Landmark Decision: The Antiquities Act, Big-Stick Conservation, and the Modern State Char Miller 73 Part 2 PresidentialAudacityanditsDiscontents:TheAct'sLegacyofControversy 5 Showdown at Jackson Hole: A Monumental Backlash Against the Antiquities Act Hal Rothman 93 6 President Carter's Coup: An Insider's View of the 1978 Alaska Monument Designations Cecil D. Andrus and John C. Freemuth 108 7 The Antiquities Act and the Exercise of Presidential Power: The Clinton Monuments Mark Squillace 123 8 Antiquities Act Monuments: The Elgin Marbles of Our Public Lands? James R. Rasband 158 Part 3 MorethanMonuments:TheAct'sImpactonArchaeology,HistoricPreservation,andNatureCo ns ervation 9 The Foundation for American Public Archaeology: Section 3 of the Antiquities Act of 1906 Francis P. McManamon 177 10 The Antiquities Act and Historic Preservation Jerry L. Rogers 205 11 The Antiquities Act at One Hundred Years: A Native American Perspective Joe E. Watkins 219 12 The Antiquities Act and Nature Conservation David Harmon 234 Part 4 New Horizons for the Act 13 The Antiquities Act Meets the Federal Land Policy and Management Act Elena Daly and Geoffrey B. Middaugh 257 14 Co-Managed Monuments: A Field Report on the First Years of Grand Canyon- Parashant National Monument Darla Sidles and Dennis Curtis 276 15 Application of the Antiquities Act to the Oceans: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue Brad Barr and Katrina Van Dine 294 Part 5 The Act's First Century: An Assessment 16 The Antiquities Act: A Cornerstone of Archaeology, Historic Preservation, and Conservation David Harmon, Francis P. McManamon, and Dwight T. Pitcaithley 311 Appendix: Essential Facts and Figures on the National Monuments 333 Bibliography 344 About the Contributors Index About the Editors 358 364 000

Editorial Reviews

"Winner of the State of New Mexico's 2006 Heritage Preservation Award in the category of Heritage Publication!""Informative, reflective, illustrated, and an immense pleasure to read." —CRM: The Journal of Heritage Stewardship“It’s a great introduction to the Antiquities Act, how it came about, and how it affects all of us today. Reading it would be a fine way to mark the centennial of the Act.” —Archaeology“An exceptionally impressive collection of informed and informative essays and writings…A core addition to academic and community library reference collections.” —The Midwest Book Review“This testament to a great American law provides the reader with insight into all aspects of its history and effectiveness.”—American Archaeology

From the Publisher