The Medallion, Volume 52, Number 2, Spring 2014 Page: 3
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PRESERVATION NEWS
30 Years of Stewardship
Archeological Network Celebrates
Three Decades of Preserving Texas HistoryBy THC Archeology Division Staff
From modest beginnings
with 10 participants, the Texas
Archeological Stewardship
Network (TASN) now boasts
more than 100 members dedicated
to helping the state preserve
invaluable resources.
This year marks the 30th
anniversary of the TASN, an
innovative program comprised
of highly trained and motivated
avocational archeologists who
work closely with THC's staff
archeologists. These individuals
are essential to the THC's
Texa~
mission to preserve and protect Bern
significant archeological sites that
shed important light on Texas'
prehistoric and historic past.
Stewards reside in communities
across the state, alert THC staff aboul
local archeological matters, and
frequently serve as intermediaries
between private landowners and the
THC. The TASN is the oldest and most
diverse program of its kind in America.
"The idea of working with
archeological volunteers wasn't new
30 years ago, but what Bob Mallouf
(then-state archeologist) conceptualized
was unique-a formal network of
archeological volunteers to expand
the reach of THC's archeological
program," recalls Pat Mercado-Allinger,
Archeology Division director and
state archeologist.
Remarkably, four of the founding
members remain active participants
in the program. With an estimated two
million archeological sites throughout
the Lone Star State-most on private
lands-the THC relies heavily on this
group of skilled volunteers to carry outv~ r
s Archeological Steward Bob Ward conducts fieldwork a
ardo Plantation in East Texas.
field investigations, document artifact
collections, and help landowners
obtain protective designations for
important sites.
In 2001, Texas' program
incorporated a Marine Archeology
Stewards component and is still the
only state in the U.S. to have such
a corps of volunteers. There are
currently 108 TASN members who have
accepted the invitation to participate
in the program and agreed to abide
by the TASN's procedures (for more
information, visit www.thc.state.tx.us).
The TASN stewards devote
thousands of hours each year to
a broad range of tasks, including:
" Recording new archeological sites
- Monitoring and protecting
known sites
" Seeking protective designations for
significant sites
* Recording private artifact collections
" Conducting emergency or "salvage"
archeology on threatened sites- Assisting in surveys to assess
potential sites
. Conducting events during
Texas Archeology Month
each October
State Marine Archeologist
Amy Borgens seeks assistance
from the marine stewards
with underwater investigations,
archival research, and public
outreach. Each steward brings
unique talents and strengths
to the TASN program. Their
efforts in preservation, education,
tthe and research are an essential
part of the THC's state
archeological program.
To date, only a handful of
states have comparable stewardship
programs, including Arizona, California,
Colorado, Montana, New Mexico,
and Utah. Notable among these is
tie Arizona Site Steward Program,
created in 1986 in response to Arizona
Gov. Bruce Babbitt's interest in the
Texas program.
The commitment of the stewards
and the positive impact of the TASN
received national recognition in 2010
with its designation as an official
Preserve America Steward (www.
preserveamerica.gov/stewards.html).
"We're honored to have received
this recognition from Preserve
America, because it acknowledges
our volunteer stewards and their firm
dedication to saving these real places
for the benefit of future generations
of Texans," Mercado-Allinger says.
"TASN stewards are true ambassadors
for historic preservation, promoting
the scientific study and conservation
of our shared archeological heritage." *TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
SPRING 2014
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Texas Historical Commission. The Medallion, Volume 52, Number 2, Spring 2014, periodical, Spring 2014; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth654298/m1/3/: accessed June 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.