One hundred years ago on June 8, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed into law “An act for the preservation of American antiquities.” Consisting of only four short paragraphs, it fit neatly on a single page of paper. Yet in its hundred-year history, it has had an enormous impact on American archaeology and conservation and remains a pillar of preservation law.
The editors, distinguished scholars in their own right, have compiled 16 essays that examine and illuminate various aspects of the Antiquities Act, its history, and its legacy. Like all important laws, the Antiquities Act did not arrive overnight. It took years of painstaking work by archaeologists and conservationists to convince a reluctant Congress to take action to preserve the nation’s cultural and natural treasurers. The key players were Edgar Lee Hewitt of Santa Fe, founder of the Museum of New Mexico and the School of American Research, and Congressman John F. Lacey, Republican of Iowa and chairman of the powerful Public Lands Committee. In late August of 1902, Lacey and Hewitt spent several days visiting ancient pueblo ruins in northern New Mexico, which convinced the powerful chairman to support the legislation.
Paragraphs one and three preserved ancient ruins on the public lands for the benefit of all the people, provided a method for their scientific exploration, and established harsh penalties for looting. Paragraph two authorized the President to create “national monuments” from public lands by proclamation, and Roosevelt wasted little time in protecting such national treasures as the Grand Canyon and Chaco Canyon. Every president since Roosevelt, with the exceptions of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, has used the Antiquities Act to protect important places. Every challenge to their actions has failed.
This testament to a great American law provides the reader with insights into all aspects of its history and effectiveness. It is also a blueprint for the future of a classic piece of legislation that has much more work to do.
