Ancient sites and emergency response: cultural resource protection

doi:10.1017/CBO9781139225335.010

5 - Ancient sites and emergency response: cultural resource protection

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2013

Chris B. Wooley and

James C. Haggarty

Edited by

John A. Wiens

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John A. Wiens: Affiliation:
PRBO Conservation Science, California and University of Western Australia, Perth

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Summary

Introduction

For over 4000 years, humans have lived, fished, hunted, and developed industries in Prince William Sound (PWS). When Exxon Valdez oil spilled in 1989, hundreds of archaeological sites and artifacts were potentially at risk. Many were at least superficially known, but most were not. Archaeologists and other cultural resource experts had to move quickly to identify vulnerable sites and work with others engaged in the response to safeguard Alaska’s heritage from oil and incidental harm during cleanup. Exxon created the Exxon Valdez Cultural Resource Program (hereafter the “Program”) to address potential threats to archaeological sites and to comply with state and federal laws.

The 28 archaeologists contracted to Exxon in 1989 coordinated with archaeologists from governmental agencies and Alaska Native organizations to assess the integrity of sites, identify oil concerns, and protect sites from impacts during shoreline cleanup. The archaeological contractors and their agency counterparts were knowledgeable in all areas of cultural-resource management, laws, and the region’s pre- and postcontact history.

Type: Chapter
Information: Oil in the Environment
Legacies and Lessons of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
, pp. 98 - 115

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139225335.010 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2013

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