Over the years, people have attributed contract archeology's beginnings to the
concept of "salvage archeology" done by academic archeologists in the late
1960s on a shoestring, often voluntary basis.  One example is the work of Fred
Windproof in New Mexico in reaction to site destruction by highway
construction.  Yes, the NAPA of 1966 was in place, but there was little to
implement it.  My state's DOT did not consider archeological resources in the
area of potential effect until 1970.
 
CRAM as-we-know-it in the western US received its impetus from Nixon's
executive order of 1973 (I don't remember the number) regarding the necessity
for archeological investigations on federal property or projects.  Contract
units at universities and private CRAM firms begin to proliferate after that
time.  The major difference in the post EO period is that fewer projects were
paid by federal/state money and more by private business, particularly the oil
and gas industry.  In states such as Wyoming, that meant that the number of
archeological surveys and recorded sites went through the roof.
 
 
Barbara Hickman, former high plains drifter.