Recently, archaeologists have felt pressured to prove that their discipline is not just a purely academic pursuit, but rather a practically relevant and useful profession. As it happens, during the Depression Era archaeology did prove to be just that. New Deal work relief programs were designed to spend more funds on labor than equipment, to provide minimal competition with businesses in a normal economy, and, for the most part, to invest in American culture. All of these criteria made archaeology a perfect candidate for inclusion in work relief programs, and the field would gradually trans
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