# Being a Steward Part of the Archaeology Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/archaeology/guide/index.md) *Protecting the Past* > **6a.** Explain why it is important to protect archaeological sites. > **6b.** Explain what people should do if they think they have found an artifact. > **6c.** Describe the ways in which you can be a protector of the past. You have learned about the laws and organizations that protect archaeological sites. Now it is time to think about your own role. Every person — including you — has the power to either protect or destroy the past. This requirement is about making the right choice. ### Requirement 6a: Importance of Site Protection #### Why Protecting Sites Matters Archaeological sites are **non-renewable resources**. Unlike a forest that can regrow or a river that can be cleaned up, a destroyed archaeological site is gone forever. There are no backups. Here is why that matters: **Knowledge is at stake.** Every archaeological site contains information about how people lived, what they invented, what they believed, and how cultures changed over time. When a site is damaged, that knowledge vanishes. Future generations lose the chance to learn from it. **Sites belong to everyone.** Archaeological resources on public land are part of our shared heritage — they belong to all Americans, not to any individual. Looting or vandalizing a site is not just illegal; it is stealing from the public. **Communities are connected.** Many archaeological sites are sacred to descendant communities, especially Indigenous peoples. Disturbing these sites can cause deep harm to living people whose ancestors created them. **Science keeps improving.** Technology that does not exist today may one day reveal things from an archaeological site that we cannot imagine right now. Preserving sites for the future means future archaeologists — perhaps even you — can study them with tools we have not invented yet. > **Did You Know?** > > In the 1990s, scientists developed a technique to extract ancient DNA from bones thousands of years old. Sites that had been carefully preserved yielded samples that revealed migration patterns, family relationships, and even diseases — information that was invisible to earlier researchers. ### Requirement 6b: Finding and Reporting Artifacts #### What to Do If You Find an Artifact Imagine you are hiking and you spot something unusual in the dirt — a piece of old pottery, a stone that looks like a tool, or a coin with strange markings. What should you do? **If You Find an Artifact** — Follow these steps — in this order - [ ] Stop and observe. Look carefully at what you found and the area around it. Are there other artifacts nearby? Note the location as precisely as you can. - [ ] Do NOT pick it up. The moment you remove an artifact from its location, you destroy its context — the exact position, depth, and surrounding objects that give it meaning. - [ ] Mark the location. Use a GPS device, phone, or landmark to record where you found it. Take photos from several angles, including wide shots showing the surrounding area. - [ ] Report it. Contact your State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), a local archaeological society, or the land management agency (NPS, BLM, Forest Service) responsible for the area. - [ ] Leave it in place. Let the professionals decide what to do next. They may investigate the site, record it, or determine that it is already documented. > **Safety First!** > > If you find human remains at an archaeological site or anywhere outdoors, do not touch or disturb them. Leave the area, mark the general location, and contact local law enforcement immediately. Human remains are protected by federal and state laws, and disturbing them — even accidentally — can have serious legal consequences. ### Requirement 6c: Your Role as Protector #### How You Can Be a Protector of the Past You do not need a degree in archaeology to make a difference. Here are concrete ways you can protect archaeological heritage right now: **Respect the rules.** When visiting parks, historic sites, and public lands, follow posted signs and regulations. Stay on trails. Do not climb on ruins or walls. Never take artifacts — even small ones — as souvenirs. **Spread the word.** Teach your friends, family, and fellow Scouts why archaeological sites matter. Many people do not realize that picking up an arrowhead or digging at a site is both illegal and destructive. A simple conversation can change someone's behavior. **Report vandalism and looting.** If you see someone damaging a site, collecting artifacts without permission, or using metal detectors on protected land, report it to the land management agency or local law enforcement. **Volunteer.** Many organizations offer opportunities to help with site monitoring, trail maintenance at historic sites, or public education programs. Contact your state archaeological society or local historical society to find opportunities near you. **Follow the Scout Outdoor Code.** The principles of "Leave No Trace" and the Outdoor Code apply to cultural resources just as much as natural ones. Leave what you find, respect the past, and leave sites better than you found them. > **Be Prepared! Someone Offers You an Artifact** > > What if a friend or family member shows you a cool arrowhead they dug up, or a neighbor offers you an old bottle they found at a construction site? Here is how to handle it: > > - **Thank them** for showing it to you. Don't lecture or accuse — most people don't know the laws or understand the importance of context. > - **Share what you know.** Explain (politely) that artifacts are most valuable when left in place, and that removing them from public land is against the law. > - **Suggest reporting it.** If they found it on public land, encourage them to contact the local SHPO or land management agency. > - **Be a positive example.** Your own actions and attitude can influence the people around you more than any rule or law. ![A Scout on a hiking trail noticing an artifact partially exposed in the soil, choosing to photograph it with a phone instead of picking it up, with a national forest setting in the background](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-800/mbu-assets/merit-badges/archaeology/guide/scout-leaving-artifact?v=3f0b2ce4) [NPS — Looting and Vandalism of Archaeological Sites](https://www.nps.gov/subjects/archeology/looting-and-vandalism.htm): Learn about the threats facing archaeological sites and what the NPS does to protect them. [Society for American Archaeology — Archaeology and You](https://www.saa.org/about-archaeology/archaeology-and-you): Practical guidance from the SAA on how everyday people can help protect archaeological resources. --- - Previous: [Laws That Protect Sites](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/archaeology/guide/req5/index.md) - Next: [Artifacts Tell Stories](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/archaeology/guide/req7/index.md)