Crow Canyon Archaeological Center

The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center maintains high ethical and professional standards in its research and education programs. This helps ensure that the Center meets its responsibilities to the general public. It also helps maintain Crow Canyon's reputation for excellence in archaeological research and education. Ethical and professional standards have been developed in the field of archaeology during the last 100 years. The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) and the Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA) publish guidelines and standards that are followed by the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. Information about these organizations and their statements is provided below. The Society for American Archaeology is the leading archaeological organization in North America. It has more than 7,000 members, including professional archaeologists, students, amateur archaeologists, and interested lay people. The SAA has published a set of general ethical principles for archaeologists, which may be found on its website. The Register of Professional Archaeologists lists archaeologists who have met basic standards of professional education and experience. To become registered, an archaeologist must agree to follow the RPA Code of Conduct and Standards of Research Performance (see the RPA website). Registered Professional Archaeologists also must agree to appear before a grievance committee if someone lodges a credible complaint about their professional conduct. Considering both the SAA and the RPA statements, the main points are as follows: Archaeologists have a responsibility to promote stewardship of the archaeological record of the past. This record (sites, deposits, and artifacts and other materials that remain in or on the ground) is fragile, easily disturbed, and nonrenewable. The archaeological record can yield new information about the past if it is properly studied. However, the information content of the record can be lost if patterns of stratigraphy and artifact associations are disturbed without ...