Archaeological Interpretation at Front-Country Sites in Death Valley National Park
Project ID: J8W07100034
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Partner Institution: University of Alaska Anchorage
Fiscal Year: 2010
Initial Funding: $63,973
Total Funding: $63,973
Project Type: Technical Assistance
Project Disciplines: Cultural
National Park: Death Valley NP
Principal Investigator: White, Paul
Agreement Technical Representative: Bonstead, Leah
Abstract: This project is a collaborative effort between the Department of Anthropology at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and staff from the National Park Service (NPS) to develop public interpretation for twelve front-country archaeological sites in Death Valley National Park (DEVA). The work at the selected sites, located near established roadways and accessible by two-wheel drive vehicles, will improve interpretation at DEVA by: tangibly tracking developments in the prehistoric and historic use of the Death Valley area, highlighting the range of archaeological resources in the park, and drawing attention to how archaeological information in context develops understandings about the past. UAA will work closely with NPS and the Timbisha Shoshone tribe to select sites suitable for public visitation. This process will include considerations of visitor impact to selected sites, as well as to the identification of potential impacts to non-interpreted but associated sites. This project will develop interpretive themes for connecting the sites as a self-guided tour, select images and maps appropriate for interpretive use, and create text suitable for presentation in wayside exhibits, brochures, podcasts, and web-based formats. Collectively, this project significantly expands the breadth of public interpretation in DEVA, which currently concentrates primarily on the interpretation of natural features and historic mining legacies.