Arizona Archaeology Week: Promoting the Past to the Public

The Federal archeological community has identified a need for an organized and comprehensive public outreach effort at the national level which can provide a framework for regional and local public support for America's archeological resources. The goals of the program are to: (1) foster a feeling of ownership of and responsibility for our common heritage, (2) increase public understanding of the science of archeology, (3) enhance public awareness of the current problem involving archeological resources such as looting, (4) increase understanding of how the public's actions affect archeological resources, and (5) increase public involvement in legitimate archeological activities. This Technical Brief represents one part of the program by providing guidance in developing public awareness. It presents the Arizona Archaeology Week as one example of how successful public outreach programs operate.

Archaeology Week represents one component of Arizona's award winning Public Archaeology Program which also includes the Site Steward Program (volunteers assisting Federal and State land managing agencies in monitoring the condition of selected archeological sites), public school curriculum development, and media involvement. Evolving over the past six years, Archaeology Week fosters the preservation of archeological resources throughout the State and seeks to bring archeology to public attention. The broad-reaching success of the Public Archaeology Program in Arizona and Archaeology Week in particular was recognized in 1986 at the State and National levels through a "Take Pride in America" award in the state government category to the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for its coordination of the Public Archaeology Program.

Technical Brief No. 2 examines the development of Arizona Archaeology Week over the past six years, and takes a detailed look at its history, growth, and components.