| Mining landscapes are avowedly complex and dynamic cultural resources, representing an important part of the nation's cultural heritage. They reflect changes in technology, social organization, and the influence of outside events. Mining landscapes are also representative of the experiences of change over time. This representative experience is not well-represented in the typical approach to considering preservation of mining districts during the review of federal projects. This thesis takes a different approach, developing a classification system with a greater focus on the changes that occur, and tests this against a small-scale lode mining district in Southcentral Alaska. While the ability to factor in change remains problematic, the approach takes positive steps towards isolating the aspects of the mining landscape that reflect this change. |
