Topical Convergence: Historical Archaeologists and Historians on Common Ground

Although historical archaeologists and historians seem to operate in different worlds, they often coexist in the same agencies and companies under the umbrella of cultural resource management (CRM) or, outside the United States, cultural heritage management. While the disciplines’ journals, coursework, and career paths are separate, historical archaeologists and historians may end up working on the same projects or within the same programs. Outside the academy, their disciplines have developed side by side. The professions have been connected through much of the 20th century, often in the context of public interpretation and policy. This common ground of public history and public archaeology can provide a firm foundation for interdisciplinary cooperation in serving public interest in the past. An interconnected development of the disciplines is presented before considering cross-disciplinary work and the importance of such work to the public.