Utah

Utah’s rich archaeological heritage has lured scientists and antiquarians from around the world to excavate in the deep caves of the western deserts, explore the well-preserved Anasazi ruins, and study the enigmatic and unique Fremont culture. Surprisingly, however, the history of Utah archaeology has been largely ignored since Elmer Smith published a short overview of Utah anthropology in 1950. Smith traced the history of the discipline by describing the research activities and publications of the faculty at the University of Utah, since much of the archaeological research to that time had been done by that institution.
Today all the major universities in the state, the Utah Historical Society, various federal agencies, and several private archaeological contracting firms employ archaeologists to teach, do research, and manage cultural remains. As a consequence of this increased activity, the number of professionals has increased exponentially, as has the amount of archaeological data generated and reported.