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Municipal Archaeology Policies as a Vector in Public Outreach Programs: Digging Up Dirt for the Masses in St. Augustine, Florida

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Urban Archaeology, Municipal Government and Local Planning

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Abstract

St. Augustine, Florida, has a vibrant heritage spanning 450 years of continuous European occupation. In 1986, the city passed an archaeological preservation ordinance to authorize the documentation of archaeological deposits prior to ground-penetrating development on both public and private properties—a result of the convergence of events and activism. Administration of this policy directive is through the city’s Planning and Building Department, with implementation under the auspices of the permitting processes, thus ensuring that all projects are evaluated for potential impacts to archaeological deposits. To date, more than 800 investigations have occurred that document archaeological resources otherwise threatened by construction. Although the ordinance mandates an archaeological response in designated sections of the city, maintaining community interest and support is achieved through a collaborative public outreach program involving volunteers, broadcast and print media, and developing community assets. The conjunction of these regulatory and public outreach policies is necessary to maintain an effective municipal archaeological program, as well as to provide the community with a sense of ownership and pride in preserving the city’s archaeological heritage.

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Acknowledgements

We want to thank the archaeology community in St. Augustine and all who have been involved in some capacity with the City of St. Augustine’s archaeology program since 1990. We had also like to thank Douglas Appler for his continued commitment to promoting municipal archaeology programs across the county and the reviewers for their constructive comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Planning and Building Department, City Archaeologist, PO Box 210, St. Augustine, FL, 32085, USA

    Carl D. Halbirt

  2. Florida Public Archaeology Network, Flagler College, 74 King Street, St. Augustine, FL, 32084, USA

    Sarah E. Miller

Authors
  1. Carl D. Halbirt
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  2. Sarah E. Miller
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carl D. Halbirt .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  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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Halbirt, C.D., Miller, S.E. (2017). Municipal Archaeology Policies as a Vector in Public Outreach Programs: Digging Up Dirt for the Masses in St. Augustine, Florida. 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_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55490-7_15

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-55488-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-55490-7

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