Public interpretation, education and outreach: the growing predominance in American archaeology

In the United States, there is a growing realization within the profession that, with increased public interest in archaeology, we can no longer afford to ignore mechanisms and programmes that can communicate archaeological information to the lay public. This realization is also a global phenomenon, as evidenced by recent international discussions of the unique role of archaeology in education and outreach (e.g. Stone and MacKenzie 1989; Stone and Molyneaux 1994).