Managing Cultural Resources at Mojave National Preserve - David Nichols - Archaeologist, Mojave NP

Managing Cultural Resources at Mojave National Preserve

David Nichols
Park Archaeologist and Cultural Resources Program Manager
Mojave National Preserve and Castle Mountains National Monument

Federal agency archaeologists, separate from cultural resources practitioners in the private sector and research academics, have a different mandate driving both their philosophy and management approach toward preservation and protection of cultural resources. Much of what we do goes beyond the responsibilities of managing archaeological resources to include what is described as "collateral duties." Thus, the one-time archaeologist, in role and capacity within government service, is suddenly thrust into the positions of historian, preservationist, tribal liaison, public information officer, damage assessment professional, and, yes, archaeologist. This presentation will cover a little bit of the journey and learning curve as well as some of the experiences of that metamorphosis into a federal cultural resources program manager.

David Nichols is the Park Archaeologist and Cultural Resources Program Manager for Mojave National Preserve and Castle Mountains National Monument. He is an archaeologist specializing in the archaeology of the California Mojave Desert and, in a past life, archaeology of the Pacific. He holds a BA in Mathematics from UC Santa Barbara and an MA in Cultural Resources Management from Sonoma State University. His graduate research focused on the distribution of prehistoric sites around water sources in the Mojave National Preserve, evaluating whether those sites existed due to the presence of water. Mr. Nichols is part of the Pacific West Region Cultural Resources Emergency Response Team and as such has responded to multiagency emergencies including the BP oil spill on the Gulf Coast, the Miyagi earthquake and tsunami which affected Hawaii, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Mwar in Guam, and multiple fires and flooding events across the western US.

Presented to the Pacific Coast Archaeological Society (PCAS) on November 11, 2024.

For additional information on the Pacific Coast Archaeological Society, see the PCAS website at www.pcas.org