The Committee for the Recovery of Archaeological Remains: Three Decades of Service to the Archaeological Profession

Today most archaeologists are unaware of the enormous debt we owe to a small group who instigated a massive federal archaeological program to recover the archaeological evidence that was to be destroyed by a public works program involving hundreds of dams on most of the major rivers in the United St...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:American antiquity 2002-04, Vol.67 (2), p.317-330
Main Authors: Wendorf, Fred, Thompson, Raymond H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archaeological conservation
Archaeological evidence
Archaeological excavation
Archaeological methods
Archaeological sites
Archaeological surveys
Archaeologists
Archaeology
Basic needs
Behavior
Committees
Culture
Dams
Generalities
Historic sites
Human remains
Methods
Organisation and history of research
Prehistory and protohistory
Preservation
Protection and preservation
River basins
Salvage archaeology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Today most archaeologists are unaware of the enormous debt we owe to a small group who instigated a massive federal archaeological program to recover the archaeological evidence that was to be destroyed by a public works program involving hundreds of dams on most of the major rivers in the United States and set to begin immediately after World War II. This small group of archaeologists, organized by Frederick Johnson in May 1945, known as the Committee for the Recovery of Archaeological Remains (CRAR), consisted of Johnson (secretary), John O. Brew, Alfred V Kidder, and William S. Webb (chair). The CRAR acted independently of the federal government, yet it was the driving force behind the organization of the River Basin Surveys. It stimulated adoption of high professional standards and was largely responsible for public and professional support for protecting archaeological resources that is the basis for our modern cultural preservation efforts.
ISSN:0002-7316
2325-5064
DOI:10.2307/2694569