For all the people that know nothing about archaeological remains- Piecing together pre-history is all about context. The only way to evaluate remains effectively is if they are in tact. Looting and pillaging over the years messes up the context. In a place like the Great Basin lithic evidence is some of the only artifacts remaining, along with fire cracked rock, petropglyphs and rare perishable sites. It is much easier for archaeologists to figure out the potential significance of a site is if it is in tact.
