Archaeologists balance discovery, preservation

Forty-three years ago, a Buckeystown resident stumbled across large pits filled with debris from an 800-year-old Indian village, including rare bits of native pottery.

As archaeologists work to piece together clues of daily life of those long-gone Indians, they also are fighting to protect such sites from being destroyed. The goal is to protect history without hampering development.

Such counties as Anne Arundel and Prince George's have enacted provisions enabling archaeologists to conduct preliminary studies of potential sites and then work with builders to develop a plan to salvage artifacts. Frederick County is considering a similar provision.