Heritage Services

Stanford University lands contain at least 100 archaeological sites; about two-thirds of those discovered to date are associated with prehistoric Native American occupation of the area and one-third with historic Mexican, early American and university activities.

Stanford University established a Campus Archaeology program in 1986. The program is managed by Heritage Services and combines educational opportunities with land management activities.

The University Archaeologist and Heritage Services Office work to promote four management goals for these important resources:

• Identify potential conflicts between capital projects and archaeological resources as early as possible in the planning process.
• Design to avoid impacting archaeological sites wherever possible and minimize impacts where these cannot be avoided.
• Maintain the highest professional standards in the management of archaeological resources.
• Facilitate controlled access to these resources in service of the University’s educational mission.