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Urban Archaeology, Municipal Government and Local Planning pp 227–255Cite as

Reflections on the New York City Archaeology Program (1980–2016)

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Abstract

New York City has municipal laws requiring archaeological assessments on projects that involve discretionary permits. In 1980, a City Archaeology Program housed within the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission was established. The City Archaeologist evaluates the work of CRM firms, and many high-profile CRM excavations have taken place. From 1980–1990, the City Archaeologist with her grant-funded staff and volunteer corps also undertook archaeological excavations on Native American and European American sites on city-owned properties. As the economic climate changed, early innovative programs for public outreach involving tours, exhibits, and public participation on excavations on city-owned property were eliminated. Developers challenged the permitting process. However, municipal laws regarding archaeology are still intact and CRM archaeologists continue to excavate endangered sites on developers’ properties.

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  1. Cornell University, 440 Kennedy Hall, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Sherene Baugher

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  1. Sherene Baugher
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Correspondence to Sherene Baugher .

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  1. Department of Landscape Architecture, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

    Sherene Baugher

  2. University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    Douglas R. Appler

  3. City of Québec, Québec, Québec, Canada

    William Moss

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Baugher, S. (2017). Reflections on the New York City Archaeology Program (1980–2016). In: Baugher, S., Appler, D., Moss, W. (eds) Urban Archaeology, Municipal Government and Local Planning. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55490-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55490-7_12

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