What they really think : the Coulee Region's knowledge and opinions of archaeology

Abstract

Archaeologists like to think of themselves as stewards of the past; protecting it for the current and future generations (McDavid 2010:36; Stottman 2010:1-3). It is hard to know, however, what the public thinks of archaeologists and their efforts. This study investigates the knowledge of the Coulee Region about their archaeological resources and their opinions of archaeology and archaeologists in general. These responses are compared with a national survey done by the Society for American Archaeology (among other professional organizations) to see how the Coulee Region compares with the rest of the United States in archaeological knowledge. The Coulee Region is generally interested in archaeology. They also are supportive of archaeology and the archaeologist's efforts. While they are familiar with the local archaeology, there is still some confusion about what exactly archaeologists study. Adults are more informed than the youth despite more of the youth learning about archaeology in school.