Karen,
We recently developed a significance assessment system using a cultural
landscape approach for historic sites at Fort Leonard Wood, an army
installation in Missouri.  Our historic sites date from the mid-19th century
to ca. 1940, when the army acquired the property.  Our team included an
historical archaeologist, a cultural geographer, and two landscape
architects.  (And, by the way, Carl Sauer was definitely not overlooked in
our research).  If you want more information about the project or want a
copy of the report let me know and I'll be happy to send it to you.
Stephanie

Stephanie L. Nutt
Historical Archaeologist
Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands
Fort Leonard Wood Natural Resources Branch
[log in to unmask]
(573) 596-0131 ext. 67606


-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2005 3:04 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: landscape archaeology survey


Ron has raised an interesting point.   Does anyone else have experience
using
a concept of "cultural landscape" to establish significance or to try to
establish boundaries or overturn presentist conceptions of boundaries?
What approaches are being used in CRM work?

Karen Metheny

In a message dated 2/4/05 3:34:28 AM, [log in to unmask] writes:


> Karen,
>
> I used a cultural landscape approach to evaluate the historical
significance
> of the Coronado Railroad, which ran around San Diego Bay in the 1880s.
Much
> of
> the track is ripped up now, so the issue is archaeological. The opposition
> (lawyers hired by developers) argued that the track lacks integrity, but I
> argued that industrial archaeology features set in cultural landscapes
> always
> suffer integrity loss. The cultural landscape included marshlands,
> agricultural
> fields, salt ponds, a former gunpowder plant, a former aircraft plant, and
> various warehouse sites around the track route. The site got landmarked,
but
> over
> turned by the pro-developer City Council. My clients sued and it is
pending
> in
> court at this time.
>
> The critics of cultural landscape in this railroad case stated that I
needed
> to use legal boundaries for the landscape. I contended that there were no
> legal boundaries in the past, so why should we be bound by them now.
>
> I hope I have not wasted your time.
>
> Ron May
>