Is every archaeological site eligible for the National Register?
No. Not every archaeological site is eligible for the National Register because not all archaeological sites possess both significance and sufficient integrity to be considered eligible. Sites may be deemed important to a group or community, or people may feel that, as a place of ancestral occupation or activity these sites possess a value that should be recognized. However, in neither case does this automatically translate or equate to the requisite significance for National Register eligibility purposes.
To be eligible for listing on the National Register, archaeological sites must meet at least one of the four National Register criteria (A through D) established by the National Park Service and possess integrity. Significance relates to a historic property’s ability to meet at least one of the criteria. As with any other kind of historic property, listed or eligible archaeological sites must be associated with significant events (Criterion A), or be identifiable with specific, important individuals (Criterion B), be of a distinctive type or period or have artistic value, or be a component of an identifiable historic district (Criterion C), or “have yielded or have the potential to yield, information important in prehistory or history” (Criterion D, as quoted from the regulations). When determining significance under criterion D, one must keep in mind that while all archaeological sites can yield some kind of information, the key is to determine if that information is important. Importance is best assessed when considered within a framework of a historic context.
Integrity is the ability of the property to convey significance through physical features and context. According to the National Register Bulletin No. 36, “Guidelines for Evaluating and Registering Archeological Properties” (www.cr.nps.gov/nr/publications/bulletins/arch/), Integrity of location, design, materials, and association are of primary importance [for sites being considered] under Criteria A and B. Design, materials, and workmanship are especially important under Criterion C. Under Criteria C and D, integrity of setting adds to the overall integrity of an individual site and … district.
For example, context, or the association of artifacts, features, and other site characteristics, is considered essential for the archaeological site to convey information about the past (Criterion D). The context of an archaeological site subjected to regular plowing or looting may be sufficiently disrupted so that the site no longer possesses integrity of association. On the other hand, for an archaeological site where a significant event took place (for example, consideration under Criterion A) integrity of feeling and setting may be more critical than association.
Consequently, a site with excellent associative integrity still may not be eligible if several other similar sites have already been studied, because the kind of information it could provide is considered redundant, and/or not currently important to history or prehistory. [For more detailed information about, and examples of, integrity refer to National Register Bulletin No. 36, “Guidelines for Evaluating and Registering Archeological Properties” cited above.]