Fifteen years on the rock: Archaeological research, administration, and compliance on black mesa, Arizona

The Black Mesa Archaeological Project has been conducting field investigations and archaeological research in northeastern Arizona since 1967. The work is contracted for by Peabody Coal Company in order to comply with federal, state, and tribal statutes. The longevity of the project, as well as its size and complexity, affords a unique opportunity to evaluate and refine research, project administration, and legal compliance procedures. In most situations, clear advantages have resulted from the opportunities to learn from the project's history. Unfortunately, changing statutes and changing interpretations of the same statutes have resulted in major problems - both for the archaeologists and for the Peabody Coal Company.