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ACHP’s ARCHAEOLOGY TASK FORCE

About the Task Force

Following the August 2003 appointment of Julia King as the first member of the ACHP to be an archeologist, Chairman John L. Nau, III established an Archaeology Task Force to identify those issues that should receive priority consideration and action by the ACHP.

The Task Force is composed of the following ACHP members:

• ACHP expert member and Task Force Chair, Julia King
• ACHP Native American member
• Secretary of Agriculture
• Secretary of Defense
• Secretary of the Interior
• Secretary of Transportation
• National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO)

Task Force observers include:

• ACHP’s Native American Advisory Group
• National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (NATHPO)

In addition, the Society for American Archaeology (SAA), the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA), the American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA), the Register of Professional Archaeologists and the American Association of Museums were invited to identify individuals who could to serve as resources to the Task Force.  Two of the three individuals selected represent the professional archeological organizations.

To identify priority issues, the Task Force sought input from all Federally recognized Indian tribes, Native Hawai’ian Organizations (NHOs), professional archeological organizations, Federal Preservation Officers, State Historic Preservation Officers, and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers. This outreach identified the three key areas listed below where the Task Force has focused its efforts since it first convened in July 2004.  For an update of the Task Force efforts in these three areas see the following:

1. Revisit the ACHP’s 1988 “Policy Statement Regarding Treatment of Human Remains and Grave Goods;" A new human remains policy statement was adopted in February 2007; view the new policy (PDF)
2. Develop new guidance for archaeology conducted under Section 106; and
3. Identify strategies to better capitalize on the rich potential of archeological resources for heritage tourism and public education.

Documents related to Task Force activities in 2005, such as Federal Register notices and associated comments, can be found in the Archives.

Posted March 28, 2007

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