Museums now routinely have a proces called curation. Artifacts collected by professional archaeologists are examined and evaluation for their potential significance. The best place to evaluate artifacts is not in a museum and not on a board in some one's house, but in situ in the field. See context above.
In the West, there is a lot of non-arable land that has not been developed as in many millions of acres. No plow layer and no dsturbance except by cattle and people walking around.
Archaeological surveys are interesting but tedious. I used to work for several companies that did lots of them. Sites are mapped, drawings are made, photos made, and decisions are made based on their potential significance.
My Dad had a ranch in Arizona for 30 years, mostly on the Coconino NF. We had human burial sites, pottery, irrigation works, lithics, and quarry sites. It is all still there if you know where to look.
Last edited by ppine; 05/09/13.
