"This important collection reveals the key role played by the National Research Council seminars, reports, and pamphlets in setting an agenda for the development of American archaeology in the 20th century. In the 1920s and 1930s, the fascination that Americans had for the continent's prehistoric past led to a widespread and general destruction of archaeological evidence.

In a drive toward the commercialization of antiquities, amateur collectors and "pot hunters" pillaged premier and lesser-known sites before the archaeological record could be properly investigated and documented.".

"Setting the Agenda contains the complete reports of these three conferences, a short publication on the methods and techniques for conducting archaeological surveys, and a guide for amateur archaeologists. An extensive introduction by the editors sets these important historical documents in context and provides insight into the intentions of the NRC committee members as they guided the development of American archaeology."--BOOK JACKET.