Cultural resources and landscape conservation design and planning

Beginning in the 1990s, anthropologists, archeologists, and allied social scientists recognized the value of scientifically studying landscape as the, “ ... spatial manifestation of the relations between humans and the environment (Crumley and Marquardt 1990, 73).” In the decades that followed, landscape became more than a unifying concept for regional analysis, tightly integrated into archeological and anthropological research and practice. The tools, methods, and approaches evolved, providing an integrated kit for studying humans and their environment at large scales. To date, dozens of projects have left a legacy of data and information about landscape. The human and culturally focused science of landscapes strengthened, but the application of this science for planning and management of resources was limited. Cultural resource planning and preservation initiatives have revisited this gap in recent years (Altschul 2016; Doelle et al. 2016). We view this as a unique time and opportunity to discuss some approaches for integrating cultural resource science of landscape with design, planning, and management of landscapes.