Archeological Inventory and Monitoring Plan
The personnel of Dinosaur National Monument, a unit of the National Park Service, are responsible for the protection of natural and cultural resources within its boundaries. While natural resources have received much attention in Dinosaur, cultural resources have not received the treatment they are due. A Cultural Resource Management Plan (CRMP) is currently being designed in Dinosaur to aid in the preservation and protection of cultural resources. Prior to this time, there has been no specific management plan for cultural resources within the monument. As an adjunct to the CRMP, an archeological inventory and monitoring plan has been developed by this writer. It is this inventory and monitoring plan, along with a cultural overview of Dinosaur National Monument, that comprise this thesis. Cultural occupation at Dinosaur National Monument extends back thousands of years. It is this evidence of occupancy that comprises Dinosaur's cultural resources. Archeological and historical sites abound in the monument. Each has its own special needs in regards to preservation. The purpose of the Archeological Inventory and Monitoring Plan is the documentation and protection of archeological resources. The use of the plan enables monument personnel to document site condition, assess the site for any needed protection measures, and monitor the site to document any changes that take place. Archeological sites are vulnerable to change; disturbance of a site can destroy its archeological value. Natural or man-caused events may lead to site disturbance. The Archeological Inventory and Monitoring Plan, through site documentation, can often enable monument personnel to modify or eliminate cause of a disturbance as the case may warrant. The archeological resources of Dinosaur National Monument are irreplaceable. Documentation and protection efforts are necessary if the resource is to be perpetuated.
Archaeological Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Cultural property; Protection of Archaeology -- Methodology
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