Archaeology
Petrified wood; Megan Norr; 2016
About
Archaeological evidence shows that people have inhabited or traveled through what is now Yellowstone National Park for more than 11,000 years. Yellowstone's archaeological program started in 1995 and while over 2,000 archaeological sites have been documented since then, less than 3% of the Park has been inventoried. Archaeologist Doug MacDonald's rule of thumb for excavating the Park was that "pretty much anywhere you’d want to pitch a tent, there are artifacts" (Smithsonian Magazine).
Yellowstone is an extremely important and dense archaeological site, as demonstrated by the Library's collection of several hundred publications of archaeological texts. Whether you are a hobbysit archaeologist or a trained scholar, the Yellowstone Research Library has a diverse selection of titles to choose from.
Helpful Resources
- Archaeology, National Park Service
- Archaeology of Yellowstone: Fascinating Facts and Figures, Yellowstone Forever
- The Lost History of Yellowstone, Smithsonian Magazine
From the Archive
Library Resources
Ask a Question
Submit questions to yell_research_library@nps.gov. You can alternatively call the library at (307)344-2264, or visit us in person.
