Abstract
United States national programs for historic preservation have a great influence on public memory and commemoration. Decisions about what may be listed in the National Register of Historic Places or designated a National Historic Landmark may commemorate or silence parts of the past. Historians invoke the concept of “integrity” as a gatekeeper to control access to these lists. Archaeologists have the opportunity to contest some of the imposed silences and make these lists more inclusive of underrepresented groups.
REFERENCES CITED
Fowler, P. J. (1981). Archaeology, the public and the sense of the past. In Lowenthal, D., and Binney, M. (eds.), Our Past Before Us: Why Do We Save It? Temple Smith, London, pp. 56–69.
Mackintosh, B. (1985). The Historic Sites Survey and National Historic Landmarks Program: A History, National Park Service, History Division, Washington, DC.
Miller, P. P. (1992). Landmarks of women's history. In Miller, P. P. (ed.), Reclaiming the Past: Landmarks of Women's History, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, pp. 1–26.
National Park Service (1987). History and Prehistory in the National Park System and the National Historic Landmarks Program, National Park Service, History Division, Washington, DC.
National Park Service (1996). Revision of the National Park Service's Thematic Framework, National Park Service; National Register, History and Education, Washington, DC.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (1995). National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, National Park Service, Washington, DC.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (no date). Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Brochure. National Park Service, Washington, DC.
Trouillot, M.-R. (1995). Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History, Beacon Press, Boston.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Little, B.J. Archaeology, History, and Material Culture: Grounding Abstractions and Other Imponderables. International Journal of Historical Archaeology 1, 179–187 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1027312007296
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1027312007296