"To Prevent Further Despoliation" A History of the Arizona Antiquities Act

For 90 years, the Arizona Antiquities Act has both shaped and responded to the development of archaeology in the state. The earliest law, passed in 1927, met a severe legal challenge but set a precedent for a state role in controlling and preserving archaeology on state lands. Over the next six deca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Kiva (Tucson, Ariz.) Vol. 83; no. 3; pp. 344 - 368
Main Author Grindell, Beth
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 03.07.2017
Taylor & Francis, Ltd
Subjects
Antiquities laws
Archaeological permits
Archaeological preservation
Arizona
History of legislation
Original Articles
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Summary:For 90 years, the Arizona Antiquities Act has both shaped and responded to the development of archaeology in the state. The earliest law, passed in 1927, met a severe legal challenge but set a precedent for a state role in controlling and preserving archaeology on state lands. Over the next six decades, there were three major amendments (1960, 1983, 1990) and two smaller ones (1981, 1998). The article summarizes the changes and several failed attempts to amend the laws and reviews the difficulties and occasional successes in prosecuting vandalism and looting of archaeology on state lands. Despite the legislation's occasionally convoluted history, it has contributed enormously to our understanding of Arizona's rich history.
ISSN:0023-1940
2051-6177
DOI:10.1080/00231940.2017.1339175