"The Public Meaning of Archeological
Heritage"
A Seminar in Archaeology and
Interpretation
Welcoming Remarks
Edward Montgomery – Dean, University of Maryland
Good morning and welcome to the University of
Maryland.
We are living in a time in which we are
consistently amazed and challenged by new technologies and by
the effects of globalization. In the College of Behavioral and
Social Sciences here at Maryland, much of the work we do is
driven by these forces: faculty in our geography department use
advanced technologies to study changes in land cover and land
mass around the world; our economists and sociologists are
looking at the complexities of the 24-hour economy; new voting
technologies are one of the focuses in the Department of
Government and Politics; and our Departments of Hearing and
Speech Sciences and Psychology have in the last few years opened
up new areas of study in neuroscience. In the Department of
Anthropology, new technologies are helping to advance the study
of genetics and biological anthropology.
And then there’s the Center for Heritage Resource
Studies. And you may ask: how is an academic center focused on
preserving the past a response to emerging technologies and
globalization? The answer is that as we rush head-first into
this new world, we need to make sure we don’t leave a whole
other world behind. As we simultaneously rejoice and lament
technologies that save us time yet seem to also rob us of time,
we need to preserve those things that connect us to our past and
help us understand who we are and how we got to where we are
now.
The Center for Heritage Resource Studies is,
literally, one of a kind; no other organization in the country
is devoted to the study of heritage resources. As a result of
Professor Paul Shackel’s enthusiasm, energy and expertise, and
under his skillful guidance, the Center was established in
December of 2000. Since then partnerships and programs have been
established and research conducted that have advanced this field
far more than could be expected in four short years. The
Center’s partnerships go from the local to the international
level, and we are especially glad to be working with the
National Park Service on a number of projects. I think the
result of the collective expertise gathered here today will be
extremely valuable as we all continue with our work.
Faculty in the Department of Anthropology are leaders
in the fields of heritage studies and natural resource management
and they are recognized on an international level. The work of
Department chair Erve Chambers in the area of heritage development
and tourism has helped make this a subject of major interest in
American anthropology today. The Archaeology in Annapolis program,
established by former chair Mark Leone in 1981 in cooperation with
the Historic Annapolis Foundation, is viewed as a national model for
public archaeology and has uncovered information of great
significance about the cultural and religious traditions practiced
by African slaves; you might have read about it in the New York
Times. Professor Michael Paolisso is conducting research that
explores how different groups construct cultural models of the
natural environment and how groups regard natural resources and
physical spaces as part of their heritage. Professor Shackel is
involved in a project you may have read about in any number of
newspapers: he is making public the story of the earliest known town
founded and registered by an African American in the antebellum
United States.
And making the story public is the key. It’s not
enough to uncover the story. You’re here today to explore together
how to make the story public – how to make what you’ve learned
relevant to those you come in contact with. It’s important work and
it looks like you have a full and interesting day ahead of you, with
an impressive list of speakers. Once again, welcome to the
University of Maryland. I hope you enjoy your time here.
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