Alexandria Virginia - Archaeology Museum

The Alexandria Archaeology Museum is dedicated to preserving and studying the rich archaeological heritage of Alexandria, Virginia. Volunteers and students work with citizens and developers to study and manage archaeological resources important to the community's past. This knowledge his shared both locally and to a world-wide audience.

Here are just a few of the things the Alexandria Archaeology Museum strives for:

• uncovering and sharing the past in partnership with our hundreds of community volunteers, as well as developers, educators and colleagues in anthropology, history, museums, the arts, travel and recreation.
  
• stimulating thought and awareness from the study of materials and information relating to Alexandria's 10,000 years of human history and its relationships to the world and region.
  finding new sites, information and methods to enrich our knowledge of the wide variety of people who once walked here.
  
• exploring the common ground of human existence, yet recognizing the unique qualities of individuals and their contributions.
  
• protecting fragile archaeological materials and landscapes in the ground as precious resources in order that historical integrity is preserved for the future.
  
• ensuring that significant archaeological resources are preserved in the course of Alexandria's growth and development using contemporary professional standards.
  
• creating opportunities in which heritage resources can be developed into public amenities in cooperation with new construction.
  
• maintaining a repository and archive for over two million artifacts and associated records from Alexandria's archaeological sites which meets federal and professional standards.
  managing the Alexandria Archaeology Collection in perpetuity and conserving vulnerable artifacts to benefit research and education.
  
• encouraging the public to experience archaeology first-hand in the Alexandria Archaeology Museum.
  
• sparking curiosity, exploration, observation, understanding and appreciation of the archaeological process through public programs.
  
• expanding access to archaeology through publications, public venues and recreational pursuits.
  
• instilling through heritage resource research and education a sense of community identity as well as enjoyment and collective ownership of the past for all Alexandrians.
  cultivating the value of scholarship and a preservation ethic.